The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into two charities connected to a Sikh temple in Wolverhampton after they failed to comply with information gathering orders from the regulator.
The commission had opened a compliance case due to concerns raised by some of the congregation of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Wednesfield about the trustees running an unregistered charity, formed in 1980 to oversee the site.
Further concerns were raised by the formation and registration last year of a new charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) called Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Wednesfield, by some of those trustees.
Trustees of both charities, the commission said, have failed to comply with regulatory guidance and with information-gathering orders related to these concerns.
The unregistered charity failed to comply with the commission’s order for it to apply to become a registered charity by 23 April 2025. However, it has since submitted an application.
A failure to comply with an order of the commission is considered misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of a charity.
The commission escalated its engagement with both the CIO and the related, unregistered charity to a statutory inquiry in June 2025.
Its investigation will examine whether trustees are complying with their legal duties and responsibilities in respect of the administration, governance, and management of both charities.
In particular, it will consider the conduct of the trustees and whether the charities are being managed in accordance with their governing documents.
The Guru Nanak Gurdwara, Wednesfield, has been contacted for comment.
