An air ambulance charity that was being investigated by the Charity Commission after it was found to have breached the Code of Fundraising Practice has now announced that it will be closing.
The Stoke Air Ambulance CIO announced in a statement on its website that it would be closing down and commencing an “orderly winding-up process”
The charity said that the closure had been been “an exceptionally difficult decision”, but added: “Over an extended period, the trustees have carefully reviewed the charity’s position and explored a range of options for its future.
“In doing so, they have had to consider the challenges arising from regulatory intervention, together with the significant practical, operational and financial difficulties involved in progressing plans for a sustainable and viable operational air ambulance charity.
“Having undertaken that review and taken appropriate professional advice, the trustees have concluded that it is no longer in the best interests of the charity to continue pursuing its objectives through the development of an operational air ambulance service.”
The charity added that it had paid all of its outstanding liabilities and the costs associated with the winding-up process and will distribute any surplus funds to local charities with similar charitable purposes to Stoke Air Ambulance.
As part of this process, the charity said it had taken steps to cancel all existing direct debit arrangements with immediate effect.
The statement added: “Donors do not need to take any action. No further donations will be collected whilst the winding-up process is underway.”
Charity subject to regulatory investigations
In February this year, the Fundraising Regulator found code breaches at the charity, saying it had made misleading and unsubstantiated claims, unfairly criticised other charities and had encouraged donors to cancel existing donations to other organisations.
The Charity Commission announced on the same day it had opened a statutory inquiry into the charity, partly due to concerns over the Fundraising Regulator’s findings as well as concerns over the charity’s strategic planning and whether its goal of obtaining and operating an air ambulance service is viable.
At the time, a Stoke Air Ambulance spokesperson said in response: “The trustees of Stoke Air Ambulance CIO are fully aware of the findings of the Fundraising Regulator and are taking steps to address the issues raised.
“In addition to this, the trustees have been engaged with the Charity Commission since November 2025 and are cooperating fully with the statutory inquiry opened on 6 January 2026.”
Now, the commission has told the BBC that in response to the charity's closure, it would be monitoring the “trustees' handling of the closure, ensuring that they fulfil their legal duties in managing this situation and redistributing remaining funds to charities with similar charitable purposes”.
