Charity Founder Banned Over Political Social Media Blunder
The Charity Commission has slammed a charity for letting its social media be hijacked for political campaigning. The charity’s trustees failed to properly control what was posted, sparking a major investigation.
Founder Banned from Charity Roles for Four Years
Ellie Waugh, founder and former CEO of the charity Humanity Torbay, has agreed to a four-year ban. She won’t be allowed to serve as a charity trustee or hold any senior management position in a charity across England or Wales.
How The Charity Fell From Grace
Humanity Torbay, a drop-in centre offering advice on health, wellbeing, housing, employment, and food bank referrals, fell under scrutiny in August 2019. The Charity Commission launched a compliance case after concerns over political messaging on its social media.
A statutory inquiry in June 2020 uncovered several serious failings by the trustees, including:
- Poor financial controls
- Allowing inappropriate political content on charity social media accounts
- Breach of legal duties related to political campaigning
The trustees decided to close the charity in July 2020. It was officially removed from the charity register in March 2021.
Charity Commission: No Politics in Charities
Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said:
“The Commission’s intervention in this case sends a strong message that charities should not be misused as a vehicle to express an individual’s political views.”
“Charities’ independence from party politics is not just required by the law, it is also essential in upholding public trust and confidence in charities.”
