‘Double standards’ in council charity funding probe

COUNCIL officers are expected to produce a report into complaints over the multi- million pound funding of a charity in the next fortnight.

Last year, The Sunday Post revealed that Wearside Women In Need hadn’t filed accounts for nearly two years — despite 10 requests from the Charity Commission.

Sunderland Council came under fire from the boss of another charity in the city which recently had to close down due to lack of funds.

Jerry Stephens, of the Lazarus Foundation, which helped homeless people, wrote to the Audit Commission requesting an investigation six months ago.

The independent watchdog, which is being wound down, forwarded the complaint to accountancy firm Mazars, which monitors Sunderland Council.

Council officers are investigating the complaint and will produce a report.

Mr Stephens said: “Why is it taking so long for the council to produce this report?

“It was in October that we called for an investigation. In the meantime, we’ve had to close down because the council won’t help us. “The council has shown double standards.” Cllr Paul Watson, the Labour leader of Sunderland Council, said: “We hope to get the answers soon.

“Whatever the conclusion, it’ll be no more than a couple of weeks.”

Wearside Women In Need, which helps victims of domestic violence, receives more than £800,000 a year from Sunderland Council.

It has an annual income of around £1.5 million and employs 47 staff.

Since The Sunday Post’s story, the charity has filed accounts for 2010 to 2011.

The Charities Commission records also show that accounts for the year ending March, 2009, weren’t filed until February, 2012.

The Director of Wearside Women in Need is Clare Phillipson, mother of Bridget Phillipson, the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South.

She said the charity was “responsible and prudent” and provided “exceptionally good value for money” to the city of Sunderland.

She explained that, in the past year, its income has fallen by £ 300,000 due to cuts to local authority funding.