The Charity Commission has launched statutory inquiries into two charities, Steiner Friends and The Shoosmith Gallery, that have links to William Blake House, a care charity which is also under investigation and closed earlier this year owing £1.5m to HMRC.

Both charities share trustees with the Northamptonshire charity that provided residential support to adults with learning disabilities.

The investigation into Steiner Friends, which provides educational courses, will focus on how potential conflicts of interest are managed and whether its funds “have been properly applied”.

Among concerns is that the charity has reported that its income was below the threshold between 2022 and 2025 for submitting its accounts to the regulator.

“However, following a review of the charity’s bank accounts, the Commission is concerned that the charity’s income may have exceeded the threshold and therefore accounts should have been submitted to the Commission,” said the regulator.

“This raises concerns that the trustees have failed to comply with their reporting obligations.”

Meanwhile, the investigation into art charity The Shoosmith Gallery, will look at concerns that one of its trustees has received payment for their role, despite its governing document prohibiting this without Commission approval, which was “neither sought nor given”.

“The Commission’s inquiry will seek to establish the basis on which the trustees considered employment of a trustee to be in the charity’s best interests,” said the regulator.

Debt and closure

The statutory inquiry into William Blake House launched in February. This followed a compliance case opening to assess its management last November.

Concerns focus on the financial management of the charity, including its HMRC debt as well as late filing of accounts to the Commission and possible unmanaged conflicts of interest.

An application to place the charity into administration was issued last month to the High Court.

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