UKNIP247 
An Erith shop has come under scrutiny after a children’s charity accused it of wrongly collecting money under its name for nearly 20 years. The allegations were reported to the authorities by the charity Second Chance earlier this month.
Allegations and Investigation
Second Chance claims it had permitted the opening of a shop at 188 Bexley Road in 2005, but the agreement ended in 2006, and it had received no funds from the shop since then. Despite this, the store allegedly continued trading with the charity’s branding for almost two decades, only coming to light due to an inquisitive accountant.
The Charity Commission, a government body regulating the charity sector, confirmed receiving a serious incident report from Second Chance. “We can confirm that, in line with our guidance, Second Chance Children’s Charity filed a serious incident report relating to concerns of a charity shop trading under its name without its knowledge,” the Commission stated.
Discovery of the Issue
Doug Hulme, CEO of Second Chance, explained how the issue was discovered. He was contacted in April 2023 by an accountant claiming to work for one of Second Chance’s charity shops. The accountant questioned why the accounts were being prepared as a “sole trader” rather than a charity.
“We replied that we didn’t have any charity shops, so it wasn’t us,” said Mr. Hulme. “They replied by sending us a photo of the shop in question, and it was displayed in our logo and Charity Commission number. We recognized the shop from 2005 and… asked the accountants to advise their client to stop trading at once under our name.”
However, despite these requests, the signage remained up, leading the charity to inform Bexley Council’s Trading Standards department on July 19, 2024.
Authorities’ Response
A spokesperson for Bexley Council stated, “Council officers attended the premises the same day and also spoke to a relative of the former business owner. The premises has since been instructed to remove any signage reflecting the name ‘Second Chance’ and any charity number. The council’s Trading Standards team and Metropolitan Police Service will continue to liaise with relevant bodies as investigations continue.”
The Metropolitan Police also commented on the situation: “A report has been made to police about a shop trading as a charity shop in Erith. Concerns have been made about the validity of this shop’s links to the charity it reports to raise money for. There has been no arrest at this stage.”
Charity’s Mission and Impact
Second Chance, whose patrons include BBC Pointless presenter, Alexander Armstrong, works with abused, impoverished, and learning-disabled children, taking them on fishing trips and woodland retreats. The charity has expressed deep concern over its name’s misuse and its potential impact on its mission.
Current Status
The shop’s current manager, who has been in touch with Mr. Hulme, did not respond to a request for comment. Investigations by Trading Standards and the Metropolitan Police are ongoing.
Community Reaction
The local community has expressed shock and disappointment over the allegations. Residents and supporters of the charity are hopeful that the situation will be resolved quickly and that the charity’s good name will be restored.
