What happens when charities struggle to reckon with the regulatory and governance structures that charity law requires them to follow? And when the regulator’s decisions are called into question, what next?
Hosted by Lucinda Rouse, this three-part podcast documentary examines three charities where things went badly wrong. It questions whether their cases throw up any weaknesses in how the UK’s voluntary organisations are governed and regulated.
Featuring voices close to the action at Kids Company, the Captain Tom Foundation and Mermaids, along with legal experts and the head of the Charity Commission, the series asks what lessons the wider sector can take from each of these high-profile cases to ensure other charities avoid the same harmful pitfalls.
Kids Company
Almost a decade after it collapsed, Kids Company has once again been on the High Court cause lists, this time for a judicial review of a damning Charity Commission inquiry. This episode examines the reasons behind the fall of one of the country’s most prominent children’s charities. It asks why the case is seemingly less than clear-cut, with regulatory verdicts repeatedly called into question.
Available now...
The Captain Tom Foundation
This episode tells the story of the Captain Tom Foundation, an organisation formed to continue the legacy of Britain’s nonagenarian Covid-19 hero. It assesses the reasons why the charity swiftly turned toxic for all who came into contact with it, from the perspectives of its two former chief executives, Hannah Ingram-Moore and Jack Gilbert.
Available now...
Mermaids
This episode explores the recent regulatory challenges encountered by the transgender youth support charity Mermaids. It examines the Charity Commission’s statutory inquiry in response to concerns about the charity’s services and management and asks how the corresponding problems could have been avoided.
Available now...
Listen to all available episodes here...
Listen to all available episodes here...
Our 2024 series: The End of Charity
In a world where need is spiralling out of control and new forces are shaping the landscape for doing good, is charity really the answer to the world’s problems?
Don't miss last year's six-part podcast series The End of Charity, from the makers of Third Sector and presented by Lucinda Rouse.
Written and presented by: Lucinda Rouse
Producer: Nav Pal
Executive producer: Ollie Peart
Art director: David Robinson