The Charity Commission has confirmed that the ongoing temporary closure of the Islamic Centre of England's premises in London results from problems in securing the necessary insurance to enable the Mosque to be reopened for public use.
Since being appointed as Interim Manager (IM), Emma Moody of Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP has worked hard with the trustees to secure the necessary insurance for the charity so that it can reopen the Mosque to worshippers, and this process is ongoing.
The insurance problems predate the IM's appointment. The trustees were aware from April 2023 that the charity's then insurers had decided not to renew some of its insurance policies. They therefore decided to temporarily cease some of the charity's activities. The IM was appointed on 4 May 2023. On 23 May 2023, in consultation with the IM, the trustees took the difficult decision to temporarily close the Mosque.
The Commission is aware of various reports and allegations relating to the causes of the temporary closure of the charity's premises. Until insurance policies are secured, it is not legal for the charity to reopen for public use. Suggestions that the temporary closure resulted from factors other than the insurance matter are entirely false and misleading.
The Commission's statutory inquiry into the charity is ongoing. The scope of the inquiry can be viewed here.
The regulator will publish a report setting out its findings on conclusion of the investigation. Reports of previous inquiries are available on GOV.UK.
