UK regulator opens governance and finance inquiry into Crossfields Institute

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Crossfields Institute investigation

Highlights

Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into Crossfields Institute after accounting defaults for financial years ending 31 March 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Regulator is investigating if Crossfields Institute operated with too few trustees, lacked proper financial controls, and potentially transferred operations to a non-charitable company.
Inquiry scope covers trustee compliance, conflicts of interest, possible unauthorised private benefit, and may expand if additional issues arise, with a final report to follow.

Inquiry scope and compliance concerns

As reported by GOV.UK, the Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into Crossfields Institute, registered charity number 1124859, after identifying a series of regulatory concerns during earlier engagement with the organisation. The charity, registered in 2008, lists among its objects the provision of training and qualifications across a range of sectors.

In September 2025, Crossfields Institute was placed into the Commission’s double defaulters class inquiry after it failed to submit accounting information for the financial years ending 31 March 2023 and 31 March 2024. During that process, the charity then fell into further default for the 2025 financial year.

The regulator says it is also concerned about whether the charity has been operating with a sufficient number of trustees and whether appropriate financial controls are in place to manage risks to charity funds. It is further examining concerns that the charity’s operations and activity may have been transferred to a non-charitable company.

Potential implications for governance and oversight

The inquiry will assess whether trustees are complying with their legal duties in the administration, governance and management of the charity. That includes reviewing whether enough trustees are willing and able to run the organisation in line with its governing document, as well as the trustees’ financial management and compliance with statutory accounting and reporting obligations.

The Commission is also examining the handling of connected party transactions, possible conflicts of interest and whether any unauthorised private benefit has arisen. Its review extends to trustee decision-making and record-keeping, including decisions concerning the future operation of the charity.

The regulator says the scope of the inquiry may be widened if further issues emerge. Under its usual policy, the Commission publishes a report after concluding an inquiry, setting out the matters examined, any action taken and the outcome.

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