Latest news with #CharityCommission
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fact check: Sharia law administrator job ad was for role with private employer
A widely shared post on social media claimed that 'the UK Government is hiring' while sharing a screenshot of a job advert for a 'Shariah law administrator'. Another post said that 'the role is for the Department of Work and Pensions' alongside a screenshot of the same webpage. Evaluation The advert was not for a Government job. The administrator was being hired using money a mosque said it had raised through donations. The job was advertised on a portal run by the Government, which is open to private employers to post on. The facts The Find a Job service was launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in 2018 as a replacement for Universal Jobmatch. It links thousands of employers with potential candidates. Employers who want to post on the site must be verified in order to ensure that the job adverts are genuine. They are also checked to make sure they meet minimum wage, accessibility and Welsh language rules. The Find a Job service is used to advertise both Government jobs and those offered by charity and private sector employers. This was the case with the job advert in the screenshot shared on social media. The – now deleted – role for a 'Shariah law administrator' was advertised by Manchester Community Centre. The job description says the successful candidate will 'provide all admin and secretarial work for Manchester Shariah Council'. Following online discussions about the job advert, the Islamic Centre Manchester released a statement on Facebook through the Didsbury Mosque on July 28. It said: 'This is not a government-funded post; the mosque pays for it out of community donations. The DWP advertises many jobs to help people obtain employment.' The statement added: 'We have withdrawn the job in question and have asked the DWP to remove it from its website. The job advert will be reworded to avoid future misunderstanding.' Data from the Charity Commission suggests that Manchester Community Centre has never received income from Government grants or contracts. The Islamic Centre (Manchester) received Government grants in the year ending September 2021 and September 2022, although nothing in the year ending September 2023 – which is the latest available data. The Manchester Community Centre, the Islamic Centre Manchester and the Didsbury Mosque all use the same address. Links Post on X (archived) Second post on X (archived) – New 'Find a Job' service to support thousands of jobseekers into work (archived) – How we're helping people to Find a job (archived) Head of Detect and Response – Home Office Cyber Security (archived) Shariah Law Administrator (archived) Didsbury Mosque post on Facebook (archived) Charity Commission – Manchester Community Centre (archived) Charity Commission – The Islamic Centre (Manchester) (archived) Companies House – Manchester Community Centre (archived) Charity Commission – The Islamic Centre (Manchester), contact information (archived) MIC & Didsbury Mosque – Contact us (archived)
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
UK charity warned by regulator over fundraising video for Israeli soldiers
The UK's charity regulator has issued an official warning to a British charity which raises funds to support Israeli soldiers over a "distressing" video posted on its website. The Charity Commission said the London-based UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers (UK-AWIS) had 'breached their legal duties' after publishing a video appealing for donations to support Israeli forces involved in the war against Hamas. 'All of the trustees have failed to act in the charity's best interests and manage its resources responsibly by exposing the charity's reputation to unnecessary risk,' the commission said. 'This is a breach of trust or duty, or misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.' The video, which has since been removed from UK-AWIS's website, Facebook and YouTube pages, appeared to show a person being killed as part of a montage of footage featuring air strikes and combat scenes, similar to promotional content produced by the Israeli military. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters However, following a review, the commission concluded that while the footage did not depict a killing, it was distressing and inappropriate for a UK-registered charity. UK-AWIS is the UK branch of the Israeli Association for the Wellbeing of Israeli Soldiers, an organisation funded by Israel's Defence Ministry and closely linked to the Israeli army. Former British army officer Colonel Richard Kemp, a frequent commentator on right-wing media and UK news channels, serves as a director and trustee of UK-AWIS. The charity's stated mission is to support serving and former Israeli soldiers through education and the provision of leisure facilities. According to documents submitted to the Charity Commission, UK-AWIS raised approximately £292,358 ($394,937) in 2023. Within that total, it reported sending £43,000 ($58,087) to support 'the wellbeing of soldiers in various units as requested… with the beneficiaries being primarily lone soldiers and injured soldiers'. UK charity supporting disabled Israeli soldiers hit by £1m fraud Read More » In its report, UK-AWIS stated: 'Some of these projects were specifically undertaken to meet the wellbeing needs of soldiers, many of whom were reservists mobilised for the defence of Israel in the war against Hamas after 7 October 2023. This was the main reason for the significant increase in funds provided to Israel over the previous year.' Despite the surge in donations, UK-AWIS said it suspended the transfer of funds to Israel after the Charity Commission opened an investigation in December 2023. However, the charity resumed the transfer of donations in July 2024, following the submission of its interim report to the regulator. Before the Charity Commission began its investigation, UK-AWIS encouraged donors to "Adopt an IDF combat unit" and advertised "IDF Enlistment Festivals" on its website, which has since been taken down. Charities facing scrutiny Earlier this year, the Charity Commission issued a warning stating that "it is not lawful" for British charities to raise funds or send money to soldiers fighting for the Israeli army. The warning was issued against Chabad Lubavitch Centres North East London and Essex Limited, after the charity received 180 complaints for raising money for a soldier fighting for the Israeli army in northern Israel. The fundraising page, which was set up in October 2023 and eventually removed in January 2024, raised approximately £2,280 ($2,804). From that amount, the charity sent £937 to an individual soldier. The trustees were unable to account for how those funds were spent. But the charity told the Charity Commission that the remaining funds were spent on non-lethal military equipment purchased by the trustees and sent to the same soldier in Israel. Since October 2023, the Charity Commission has opened more than 200 regulatory cases related to the war on Gaza. The commission said the investigations involved charities with different positions on the war. Israeli forces in Gaza have been accused of war crimes by rights organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Telegraph
20-07-2025
- Telegraph
Sex, alcohol and bad language: The Welsh cathedral that showed how not to run a place of worship
When Rhys Evans then applied to train as a priest, it was John who ensured he was accepted. And then in 2021, when Rhys Evans was hardly out of theological college, John named him Sub-Dean of the Cathedral, in charge – among other things – of its money. Many voiced concerns at the time that Rhys Evans had a conflict of interest in overseeing both the finances of the cathedral and the diocese. The two had to be separate. The Charity Commission seems to agree with them. It is now examining allegations that money given to support the diocese was used to buy expensive new seating for the cathedral at an estimated cost of between £200,000 and £400,000. Some congregation members the Telegraph spoke to say that the sub-dean was not a universally popular figure in the cathedral, though some point to his achievements in boosting congregations at set-piece liturgies, such as the Christmas Eve service. Others who have spoken to the Telegraph describe him as clique-ish, and claim they were excluded from decision-making in what they regarded as 'their cathedral'. Allegedly, their views were ignored and their hard work, usually as volunteers, to keep it running was taken for granted. Rhys Evans is alleged to have 'hand-picked' members of the choir who went on a trip to Rome in 2023, the Telegraph has been told, leaving behind those who had questioned his judgements. They did not get to enjoy the smart hotels that were preferred to pilgrim hostels nor the taxis that felt more appropriate than shoe-leather for getting around the city. According to a source in the Bangor Diocese, the final bill for the visit is believed to have come to over £20,000. Taken alongside the prosecco that was regularly served at the most minor event in the cathedral, more sober voices in the congregation were asking increasingly loudly if this was a suitable use of the money put on the plate each week. It took Archbishop John a long time to hear them but, when he did, he commissioned both a formal 'visitation' (inspection) of the life of the cathedral, and a safeguarding review from an independent agency. These are the two reports that are now being kept secret. The archbishop seems to have seen through his protégé long before either report landed on his desk. Whatever faith in Rhys Evans he once had had and maintained for over a decade, it was apparently now lost as he put him on gardening leave. Some in the congregation are happy to speculate why it took so long but they provide no evidence. Rhys Evans – who lists his interests on his X account as 'spirituality, religion, gender and Italian greyhounds' – resigned in December 2024 to take up a job as bursar at Westminster College, a United Reform Church establishment in Cambridge. He left there in May after his probation period. So, what will happen now the two principals in the drama have exited stage right? In matters financial, the Charity Commission, when it completes its investigation, has substantial powers if it has found evidence of improper behaviour. Some are even asking for police involvement around the allegations of misuse of funds. Rev Professor McPhate has a wider concern, namely that 'an injustice' may be being done 'to any persons who have been damaged by what went on, and to those who faithfully have given their money to the Church, trusting that it would be used appropriately and wisely'. There is a risk that Bangor Cathedral's bruised congregation will vote with its feet and leave its community. But he also adds a note of caution about the rumours created by the archbishop's sudden resignation. In his eight years worshipping at the cathedral, he says, 'I have never witnessed any culture of alcohol abuse or sexual promiscuity to which the [safeguarding] report makes reference. If true, the reference must allude to extramural behaviour by specific individuals, of which I know nothing.' Writer Tim Wyatt, whose The Critical Friend substack covers Anglican affairs, sees in the whole saga a 'resonance' with the departure of Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in January. Neither leader came out well from independent reports into their conduct (Welby around his links to John Smyth whose abuse of children went unchallenged and unpunished). Both then tried to hang on despite the findings, presenting themselves implausibly as the solution not the problem. And both finally resigned with little good grace. 'Neither were bad people,' says Wyatt, 'and both made a series of bad decisions and paid heavily for them.' Is there, then, a problem with the selection process for senior leadership roles in the Church that needs addressing? Rev Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the diocese of Swansea and Brecon, believes that this whole episode highlights a worrying trend. 'I've served in ministry for three decades in the US, England and Wales, and I've rarely known clergy and congregations to feel more fatigued than now. That's partly down to the Church's structures and leadership that don't always feel responsive or participatory.' But he goes further. 'Culture is the common thread between the various crises we've seen. Their frequency – and the way they've sometimes been handled – have reinforced a sense that decision-making is too closed and too centralised, with key choices made by a small circle without enough wider involvement. That's not healthy for any church.'
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Captain Tom's disgraced daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore joins TikTok in career switch
Hannah Ingram-Moore unravelled her father Captain Tom's legacy when she was found to have mismanaged the foundation set up to celebrate his fundraising efforts for charity Captain Tom's disgraced daughter Hannah Ingram-More has undergone a bizarre career switch to become a TikTok "resilience coach" after she was embroiled in a scandal cashing in on her dad's name. Hannah Ingram-Moore unravelled her father's legacy after she was found to have mismanaged Captain Tom's Foundation. The veteran raised nearly £40 million and was knighted for his fundraising efforts. Hannah went on to position herself as director of the foundation but it soon came under scrutiny from watchdogs. The Charity Commission found she had personally benefitted from donations and refused to donate any of the £1.47 million raised from Captain Tom's three books, despite stating part of it would be passed on to the charity. But nearly one and a half years after being branded a charity cheat, Hannah has remade herself into a TikTok "life" and "resilience" coach and has shared bizarre philosophies that she has coined "Moore Moments," a play of her and her dad's name. "The last few years have tested me," Hannah said in a June 24 video. "The criticisms, the judgements, the noise but here's what I've learned: Self-doubt gets louder when you're under pressure. Confidence, that come's from keeping going. Even when people doubt you. You don't have to prove them wrong. You just have to believe in yourself and trust your truth." Since being shared on the platform, the clip has received some 24,000 views. The clip also earned a mixed reception online, garnering only 128 likes and a lot of criticism. One user said: "Sounds like you have convinced yourself of your version of the 'truth." Another added: "You've absolutely no shame." A third commented: "What are you doing? No one likes you." But there were people who shared positive comments, including one that read: "You loved your dad. Made him proud." While a couple of clips have amassed tens of thousands of views, the majority have only a few hundred or a few thousands. As of Tuesday, only 10,700 people followed Hannah's account. On her website, Hannah markets herself as a motivational speaker. She said: "After a wealth of experiences that give her invaluable insight into juggling a professional, family and a global phenomenon, Hannah is a much sought after public speaker, as she seeks to share her knowledge and stories to inspire others." Fees for "executive life coaching" start at £50 for a discovery consultation and go on to £725 for three one hour sessions. Payment is required at the beginning of each agreed programme. She also includes her father's famous quote "tomorrow will be a good day," including a trade mark at end. The Mirror has contacted Hannah for comment.
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Captain Tom's shameless daughter stoops to NEW low cashing in on dad's death again after pocketing £1.5m from charity
YOU'VE got to hand it to the disgraced daughter of Captain Tom - she's undoubtedly inherited his genes when it comes to refusing to quit. But where his resilience inspired £39m of pandemic -busting fundraising, Hannah Ingram-Moore continues to brazenly cash in on his name for her own self-gain. 11 11 11 Twenty months on from the humiliation of being branded a cheat who fleeced Tom 's charity, she has remodelled herself from a 'life coach' to a 'resilience coach' and is peddling her bizarre philosophies on TikTok. I broke the story that engulfed Ms Ingram-Moore and her husband in scandal - revealing a secret luxury spa built shamelessly in Tom's name to bag council permission. Last year, the pair were outed by The Charity Commission for pocketing a £1.5million book advance, then giving none to his charity. As much as anyone, I was fascinated to see how she had re-branded herself to yet again profit from her dad's legacy. Hannah's most shameless TikTok vids, coined 'Moore' Moments, are a deliberate and blatant pun on her dad's name. Designed to be inspirational, the 'Moore' Moments contain throw-away wisdom. The pick of them being when Hannah bizarrely rides a shopping centre escalator and urges followers to show 'kindness... It's the one thing we never run out of." Another 'Moore moment' recorded just last month suggests she has doubled down on her never-ending lack of self-awareness. "The last few years have tested me," she says. "The criticism, the judgement, the noise. But here is what I have learnt: self-doubt gets louder when you are under pressure. "Confidence, that comes you from keeping going quietly, consistently, even when people doubt you. Capt Tom's shameless daughter doubles down & denies pocketing £1.5m on GMB "You don't have to prove them wrong. You just have to believe in yourself.' Far from ignoring her troubled past - she now appears to be cashing in on it, writing on her website: "You don't need another advisor; you need a Resilience Leader who has walked it, who knows what it's like to feel pressure and still move forward.' And, to an extent, she is right. Few people can claim to have encountered the storm of public anger she has faced in recent years. But does that qualify her as a public speaker? Hannah seems to think so. She claims she is 'one of the few speakers who can speak openly and honestly about reputational damage—how to handle it, recover, and ultimately turn adversity into an opportunity for reinvention." She ironically even tells visitors to that 'sincerity' has been the secret of her success. But despite her upbeat TikTok and website content, her critics don't appear to be buying it. Hannah's seeming total immunity to public opinion continues to infuriate social media users as she drops into their feeds. "You say it with such conviction, you're an inspiration to all of us aspiring con artists,' blasts one. "Can you recommend someone who can build an extension?' quips another. Away from the online world, the reality of Hannah's situation appears less settled and serene than her posts would have you believe. After 15 months, she has been unable to sell her seven-bed Grade II mansion - despite using Captain Tom's image in the brochure literature. At least £300,000 has been knocked off the price, and it has been taken off Rightmove, although it remains for sale with a local agent. Earlier this year it was reported the family firm Club Nook was teetering on the verge of collapse with just £149 on the books, in a further blow. 11 11 Ms Ingram-Moore has made fresh attempts to cash in on the Captain Tom name, releasing a £22 book about her experiences on Amazon. It yet again name-checks her national hero dad and will be the first of ten, she claims. Neighbours - who now have no contact with the family - remember Hannah as the woman who flagrantly ignored council orders and built an eyesore spa building in her garden. And when she appealed the decision to tear down the new build her reason infuriated them even more - she didn't want to put back the tennis court that had stood there before. 'She does my head in' These former friends are only too aware of Hannah's incredulous online musings. 'She does my head in," one said. "She's just a reminder to us all of so much bad feeling and embarrassment. We want to remember Tom and his garden for the remarkable achievements. Not everything turning sour.' Asked about Hannah's TikToks the neighbour added: 'None of these things she says make any sense.' And a scroll through Hannah's clips quickly reveal the source of their confusion. In one video, she baffles viewers from a plane seat, saying: "No-one is you, and that is your power. You are still writing your story, so don't stop now." How Captain Tom united the nation April 2020 - Captain Tom Moore begins his fundraising effort to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday with the aim of raising £1,000 for the NHS April 14 - The war veteran smashes his initial target with £1million donated by mid-morning - rising to £2million just hours later April 15 - More than £7million is donated by over 340,000 supporters as celeb's praise his heroic effort April 16 - Captain Tom completes his 100 laps and vows to keep going if people are donating. He receives support from the Prime Minister and Royal family for his incredible achievement April 24 - The veteran becomes the oldest person to top the charts with his cover of You'll Never Walk Alone with singer Michael Ball April 30 - The hero's fundraising page reaches £32million as he celebrates his 100th birthday. A military flypast honours his birthday milestone and he is made a honorary colonel July 17 - Captain Tom receives a knighthood from the Queen in a special engagement held just for him September - He signs a deal to film a biopic of his incredible life and writes bestselling autobiography, titled Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day October 5 - Captain Tom becomes one of the country's oldest podcasters with the launch of a series to tackle isolation among older people December - He celebrates Christmas with his family on a bucket list trip to Barbados January 31, 2021 - His family reveal he has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia and Covid February 2, 2021 - Captain Tom passes away aged 100 following a Covid battle. In another clip - ridiculed by laughing locals - she advises from a park: "Trust your instinct. You know more than you think." One neighbour, clear on the source of Hannah's problem, blasts: 'It's so cringe-worthy it's laughable. 'Her problem was exactly that she trusted her instincts. She listens to them too much. Maybe if she had filtered them with some self-control she wouldn't have gotten herself in such a mess.' Beloved Sir Tom raised £38.9 million for the NHS, including Gift Aid, by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday at the height of the pandemic. He was knighted by the late Queen during a unique open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle in summer 2020. The Charity Commission opened a case into the foundation shortly after the 100-year-old died in 2021. 11 It then launched its inquiry in June 2022. Hannah's earliest TikTok clips date back to the same time - with her appearing in front of a portrait of Captain Tom in her first video. In another early clip, Hannah tearfully told: "I still find it hard to believe how it all unfolded. Looking back now.' Tone deaf But neighbours roll their eyes at what they simply see as yet more hypocrisy and opportunism. By 2024, the Charity Commission found the family had plundered Captain Tom's memory for their benefit - pocketing £80,000 in costs and an £85,000 nine-month salary for Ms Ingram-Moore as charity CEO as well as their cut of the £1.5million book deal. They potentially pocketed thousands more in gin, book and merchandise royalties, although no figures have been revealed. But none of that appeared to humble Hannah. After the Charity Commission report was revealed, the Ingram Moores ranted they had been treated "unfairly and unjustly", and accused the Charity Commission of "selective storytelling" with a "predetermined agenda". At the same time Hannah's website continued to advertise life-coaching packages starting from £1,450. After our reporting revealed this, brands quickly distanced themselves from her. Royal grocers Fortnum and Mason and watch giant Swatch both cut ties and ordered her to take down logos from her website. Fashion chains Laura Ashley and Gap both took action. So what of Hannah Ingram Moore's future and hopes for TikTok success? 'No idea,' comes the reply most frequently from locals. The anger and frustration she has made herself a lightning rod for seem to show no sign of abating, however. One critic fumed: "The good name and what he achieved, your greed destroyed his memory." I can't believe she's spouting this nonsense. A disgrace to her father,' another said. What is undoubted, however, is that Hannah steadfastly keeps going - just as her father, Captain Tom, completed his famous walk around the garden the family shared. A clue to her resilience perhaps might lie in her most recent TikTok post, where she tells anyone who will watch "focus on what you can control, not what you can't' as she walks down a street. After her undoubted rollercoaster that perhaps, finally, represents good advice for her to move on. But critics say that is exactly the attitude that prevents her showing any remorse. Under every criticism on TikTok Hannah continues to write: "NHS Charities got £38.9m - fact check." So will her Moore Moments take-off online? So far the reaction suggestions no. As one viewer wrote: 'Awful you're using his legacy to get rich, the truth will out. No moment's best with you." Another added: "You would think she'd want to keep a very low profile, but instead she's passing herself off as a wellness guru. She certainly has a sense of humour." One particularly angry TikToker summed up the mood online, blasting: "Waiting for you to stop trying to connect to the general public. 'You are tone deaf to the voices of the country who feel you let them down. What we can control is when we buy a book with 100% going to the NHS. 'We feel betrayed as you and yours got the cut. You know the truth. Try to move away from social media, it is better for you and yours in the long term." Neighbours' hopes remain more simple: that when the Ingram-Moore's finally sell their home and move on, the village of Marston Moretaine, in Bedfordshire, will be left with the legacy of Captain Tom to cherish as its own. Still, "you won't catch me taking life coaching advice from her" confirmed one villager. Ms Ingram-Moore has been approached for comment. HANNAH'S COMMENT "It's ok the Trolls and Haters are fuelled by their own anger and envy. I have long come to terms with the fact they believe the twisted facts and conflated timelines they have been fed. "I don't imagine facts and I know the truth. There are so many good people, I believe in them. Thank you again for your kind and thoughtful words." To another she replied: "Thank you so very much; NHS Charities got the entire £38.9m. The MSM have used me as clickbait with twisted facts and conflated timelines! I have made peace with the lies as I know the truth and I am grateful every day for wonderful people like you. "I feel so sorry for you for your awful behaviour and assumptions - twisted lies in the MSM - go and fact check."
