Our regular round-up of the top stories about charities in the mainstream media.
Daily Mail ‘vindicated’ by FRSB investigation
The Daily Mail has said that its undercover investigation into fundraising agency GoGen last summer has been “vindicated” by the findings of yesterday’s FRSB investigation report.
In a piece published yesterday, the Mail said that its investigation “exposed how four of Britain’s biggest charities hounded elderly victims for cash” has been “fully vindicated in an official report”. It also said its “exposé led to new laws to regulate the sector after David Cameron branded the practices unacceptable".
The FRSB’s investigation into the British Red Cross, Macmillan, NSPCC and Oxfam and their dealings with now defunct agency GoGen was published yesterday and said that all four charities “failed to monitor GoGen’s fundraising activities appropriately”.
Jailed Asda director order to repay £180,000 worth of stolen charitable funds
Paul Kelly, who is currently serving a three year sentence after being found guilty of defrauding Asda’s charity fund during his time as chair, has been ordered to repay the £180,000 he stole, or face an extension of his sentence.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Kelly has been ordered to repay the money to the supermarket’s charity fund within 28 days, or face a further two years in jail. The Post says that Kelly is likely to sell his home in North Yorkshire in order to pay the amount.
Kelly persuaded fellow fund directors to sign blank cheques he said were going to assist flood victims that were in fact being use to prop up his boyfriend’s failing ballet company. Kelly was allegedly on an annual salary of £160,000 plus bonuses at the time.
Costs of living with cancer too high for most people in Wales, says charity
Macmillan Cancer Support estimates that most people in Wales cannot financially afford to get cancer because of the estimated £760 a month living costs associated with the disease.
According to the BBC, Macmillan said that the average Welsh family could be forced to “turn to their savings, credit cards, take out a loan or even sell their home to cover any shortfall in costs” after a cancer diagnosis.
The outgoing Welsh government told the BBC that it has been funding Tenovus Cancer Care, a treatment and support charity for cancer sufferers and their families, to help people live with the costs associated with the disease.
