Charity regulator investigates after official orders ignored
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-12)

The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened an inquiry into Keren Chochmas Shloma Trust (registered charity number 1153549).

The charity is established to advance the orthodox Jewish faith through the provision of grants.

The charity failed to meaningfully engage with the Commission’s multiple attempts to address concerns about the charity’s finances, so the Commission’s investigation has escalated from a regulatory compliance case to a statutory inquiry.

Concerns

The Commission has identified concerns regarding the charity’s financial management, including potential expenditure outside the charity’s objects, potential unauthorised trustee benefit and a failure by the trustees to comply with their statutory duty to file accounting information with the Commission.

The charity is currently overdue in submitting its accounting information for the financial years ending 31 December 2022, 2023 and 2024. These are flagged as overdue on the charity’s record on the Register of Charities.

Some trustees have also failed to comply with legally binding Orders of the Commission compelling them to provide information.

Scope of the inquiry

The inquiry will examine the extent to which the trustees are complying or have complied with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of the charity, with particular regard to:

the charity’s financial management, including the charity’s viability, whether the charity has fully applied its expenditure in furtherance of the charity’s purposes and the extent of any unauthorised trustee personal benefit

the trustees’ failure to file the charity’s accounting information with the Commission

the extent to which any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity are a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees

The scope of the inquiry can be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing the issues examined, any action taken, and the inquiry’s outcomes.

ENDS

Notes to editors

The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Read further information about what the Commission does (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission/about).

On 9 October 2025, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 as a result of its regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and / or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation.

Reports of previous inquiries (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/inquiry-reports-charity-commission) are available on GOV.UK.

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