Actress Joanna Lumley and former Labour leader Lord Kinnock are among 190 prominent individuals who have publicly defended the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust following scrutiny over grants it made to the advocacy group Cage.

In a letter to the Times newspaper yesterday, the group said the charity had made “vital contributions” to the Northern Ireland peace process and transition to democracy in South Africa.

“At times its work has been risky or controversial, but in our experience it has always acted with the greatest integrity,” the letter said.

The Trust is one of two charities subject to regulatory compliance cases over grants made to Cage in light of the group's links to the Islamic State killer nicknamed “Jihadi John”.

Earlier this month, the Charity Commission said it was “robustly examining” both JRCT and the Roddick Foundation for previously providing the group with a total of £425,000 between them.

Both charities have publicly severed ties with the group following a press conference last month in which Cage’s research director Asim Qureshi described killer Mohammed Emwazi as an “extremely gentle” and “beautiful young man”.

The letter said the JRCT frequently works in “complex and difficult environments to promote peace, justice and equality” and “succeeds because of its expertise and integrity in navigating these complexities while retaining the trust of all stakeholders”.

“We affirm the right of charities and foundations to freely pursue their objectives within the law. In doing so, we express our support for the Joseph Rowntree charitable Trust, which has come under regulatory pressure and media attacks in recent days,” the letter said. 

Commission powers

On Tuesday, the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) expressed concern over the Charity Commission’s handling of charities funding Cage, calling for “clarity regarding the role of the Charity Commission, the extent of its powers, and its process for dealing with disputes”.

“ACF recognises that recent controversy surrounding the past funding decisions of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust has raised important concerns around the Commission’s duty in maintaining public confidence in charities,” it said.

“However, the Commission has a vital role in upholding the independence of trustees to pursue their charitable objectives within the law.

“In light of this, we are actively seeking to work with the Commission to construct guidance around the complex issue of charitable funders supporting the work of non-charities for charitable purposes. Key to this guidance must be a shared understanding of the duties and responsibilities of trustees.”