The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Emerge.
The charity provides accommodation and support for people suffering the effects of substance abuse in Bristol.
In November 2023, Emerge was placed into the regulator's double defaulter's class inquiry, after the charity failed to submit required accounts and annual returns for multiple financial years.
During this process, additional serious governance and financial concerns emerged.
The inquiry will examine the following charity regulatory issues:
the extent to which the trustees have acted in accordance with their legal duties, in particular the duties to ensure the charity is accountable, to act in accordance with the charity's governing document, to manage the charity's resources responsibly and to act in the charity's best interests
the extent to which any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity are a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
The scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge during the Commission's investigation.
