Barnabas Fund faces statutory enquiry

Barnabas Fund, a charity in crisis, is the subject of a statutory inquiry after the charities regulator identified serious compliance issues – including around its use of charitable funds.

In a further regulatory move, the charity, also known as Barnabas Aid, has been temporarily restricted from making transactions exceeding £4,000 without approval.

The Charity Commission announced the inquiry in October. The concerns under investigation include alleged unauthorised payments to some of the current and former trustees and related parties; allegations that the charity’s founders, including Patrick Sookhdeo, have inappropriate control or influence over charity operations; and possible conflicts of interest.