Capricorn Animal Rescue and Sanctuary (together with Aston, Hawarden Animal Assist), which was based mostly in Mould in North Wales, had charitable goals to alleviate the struggling of animals and birds, together with by offering useful resource centres and different services for the reception and care of those animals. The charity operated an animal sanctuary in Mould, caring for over 100 animals. It has since been wound up.
The regulator opened a compliance case in 2016 in response to native media protection and complaints from members of the general public. There have been issues in regards to the welfare of animals within the charity’s care and issues concerning the charity’s governance. This case was escalated to statutory inquiry in February 2017.
The inquiry report, revealed at present, units out a number of failures by the trustees of the charity on the related instances, together with:
• failure to handle the animal sanctuary successfully and in accordance with animal welfare laws
• absence of formal monetary controls, regardless of the Fee’s regulatory recommendation
• inappropriate banking and money dealing with procedures, which allowed a former trustee to make cheques out to a member of the family and to money, and money to be taken from the charity’s retailers previous to banking, breaching money dealing with insurance policies
• the renewal of the lease of the charity’s store in Mould, at an elevated price to the charity, which exceeded the revenue generated by the store and which resulted in important arrears of hire and repair expenses
• issues {that a} former trustee might have benefitted personally, by dwelling in a home on the sanctuary’s premises with insufficient information saved of hire funds
• failure to file the charity’s annual accounts, trustees’ annual studies and annual returns to the Fee, and discrepancies between the knowledge supplied to the Fee and evaluation of financial institution statements
The Fee took regulatory motion, together with to guard the charity’s funds by limiting the operation of its financial institution accounts, and disqualifying Sheila Stewart, one of many former trustees, for 15 years. It additionally appointed an interim supervisor, who concluded that the closure of the charity was needed and took the suitable steps to do that.
The sanctuary was closed in November 2018. 140 animals had been rehomed with the help of the RSPCA.
Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations on the Charity Fee, stated:
The general public was rightly involved in regards to the effectiveness of the charity and its means to ship on its charitable goals. The place a charity is inefficiently administered, it’s proper that it winds up and is faraway from the register.
The very actual impacts of poor governance, ineffective monetary controls and mismanagement are highlighted by this case. The failures of the trustees, together with Sheila Stewart, to correctly handle the charity, resulted in its closure and the rehoming of 140 animals in its care.
Notes to Editors:
- The Charity Fee is the unbiased, non-ministerial authorities division that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its goal is to make sure charity can thrive and encourage belief so that folks can enhance lives and strengthen society.
- Sheila Stewart was disqualified from being a charity trustee or trustee for a charity in relation to any charity in England and Wales from 14 January 2022. Consequently, she can also be disqualified from holding an workplace or employment with senior administration features. Her identify has been entered upon the Fee’s register of eliminated trustees.
- The charity’s official identify was Capricorn Animal Rescue and Sanctuary (inc Aston, Hawarden Animal Assist) and its registered charity quantity was 1048511.
- The inquiry report may be seen right here.
