Charity warned over chief’s £22k payment
COMMISSION’S INVESTIGATION FINDS CASH AWARD TO DIRECTOR WAS ‘INAPPROPRIATE’
A CANCER charity based in Stockport has received an official warning after its director and founder authorised herself payment of £22,000.
The National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline, located in the town centre, was investigated by the Charity Commission after ‘concerns’ were spotted with the management of its finances.
An official warning was issued after the probe found ‘inappropriate’ payments had been made to director and chair of trustees Wendy Watson.
This happened in the financial year 2014-15, when the charity’s accounts say Ms Watson ‘received remuneration’ of £22,225.
And in the same period only 2.8 per cent of the helpline’s nearly £1m income from donations and its shops, was spent on charitable activities.
But this week the charity, based on Princes Street, has hit back.
A spokesman said: “Wendy Watson has worked full-time for the charity from August 2012 until now, except for periods when she was unable to work because of illness.
“She was paid for her work for one year (September 2014-5). During that period she was also a trustee.
“Neither Ms Watson nor the charity were aware that this was inappropriate until they were informed by the Charity Commission at which point Ms Watson immediately resigned as a trustee and continued to work without payment.
“She was also paid for three months work at the end of 2016 (when she was not a trustee). Other than these periods she has worked full-time on a voluntary basis.”
Ms Watson, who lives in Derbyshire, founded the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline in 1996, four years after she became the first UK woman to undergo a pre-emptive double mastectomy.
It was set up to raise awareness and fund a support phoneline.
During the investigation it was also found the charity was heavily reliant on loans, was lacking financial controls and its ‘financial model was unsustainable.’ The Charity Commission’s subsequent report said: “We identified that the charity had made unauthorised payments to the chair of trustees, in breach of the provisions of its governing document and the legal duty that a trustee must not receive any benefit from the charity unless it is properly authorised and clearly in the charity’s interests.
“The payments were made for work undertaken running the charity’s operations on a day to day basis.
“The trustee in receipt of payment was the only authorised signatory on the charity’s bank accounts and so authorising payments to themselves.”
When contacted the National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline also produced testimonials from a number of women who described how important the charity’s work is.
Neither Ms Watson nor the charity were aware this was inappropriate National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline spokesman