An investigation into a homeless charity has uncovered serious financial mismanagement, and evidence that the charity's funds were used to benefit the charity's former CEO and former trustees.
The Ashley Foundation, which was registered as a charity in 1997, operates hostels and flats for homeless people in Blackpool, Sunderland and Blackburn. But a Charity Commission inquiry has now concluded that the charity was seriously mismanaged, and spent thousands on trustees' own properties and luxuries for the CEO.
The inquiry found that the former trustees sold off several of the charity's properties housing vulnerable homeless people, before entering into highly disadvantageous agreements with a third party to manage those same properties. It also found that in one instance, former trustee Ashley Dribben personally received £40,000 for his involvement in the transaction.
