The Charity Commission is “assessing concerns” at the Hereford and Worcester branch of Scouts after approximately £200,000 was allegedly stolen from the charity.
The charity was forced to cancel a “once-in-a-lifetime” expedition to Canada after it became apparent that the money that would have been used to fund it was missing.
A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft by West Mercia Police after the charity revealed that the money had been taken from charity funds. However, he has since been released.
A Charity Commission spokesperson said: “We are assessing concerns raised in the media regarding an incident of alleged fraud at Hereford and Worcester Scouts.
“In line with our guidance, this was reported to the Commission as a serious incident by the Scouts Association, and we expect the charity to keep us updated of any developments.”
Children and parents had fundraised much of money
Parents and children belonging to the Hereford and Worcester Scouts had been fundraising since January 2025 for the trip, which was set to take place in summer 2026, it is understood.
In a letter to parents, as reported by the Worcester News, the organisation said an urgent review of leadership, planning, and compliance for the trip had uncovered the missing money.
The letter said: “It also became clear that there had been significant theft from charity funds from a local charity account set up specifically for trips, with funds earmarked for the Canada trip.
“We believe this has been in the region of £200,000 and has occurred over an extended period of time.
“Unfortunately, as confirmed prices from suppliers began to come through in February and early March, it became clear that the final costs of key elements, particularly the Haliburton part of the trip, were far higher than the reasonable estimates used to plan the expedition.”
Andrew Thorp, the UK Scouts' deputy public relations lead, said: “As soon as we became aware that something was wrong with the operation of this expedition, we submitted reports to both the police and the Charity Commission regarding suspected missing funds.
“We continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing police investigation. At this stage, it is important to note that Hereford and Worcester Scouts has committed to covering any missing charitable funds so that young people and their families are not disadvantaged.
“We had previously been asked not to share details of the fraudulent aspects of this matter to allow the police to carry out their investigation. As this remains an active police investigation, we are unable to provide further information beyond this statement at this time.”
A West Mercia Police spokesperson told Civil Society: “On Friday 9 January we received a report of theft from the Hereford and Worcester Scouts association.
“A 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft and has since been released under investigation.
“An investigation is ongoing.”
