The Charity Commission is reportedly 'assessing material' related to abuse and domestic violence against charity Sistah Space, which offers support to victims of abuse and violence within the African and Caribbean communities.
A charity Sistah Space managed by Ngozi Fulani, who is at the heart of the latest Buckingham Palace race row, could face an official probe into its finances in response to a string of claims made online.
The Charity Commission is reportedly 'assessing material' related to abuse and domestic violence against charity Sistah Space, which offers support to victims of abuse and violence within the African and Caribbean communities.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how Buckingham Palace in November faced accusations of “racism” after the late Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, “harassed” Fulani to disclose where she “really came from”.
Lady Hussey, 83, who is the godmother of Prince William, resigned from the household and apologised after making the “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments” to Ngozi Fulani, chief executive of Sistah Space, at a royal reception.
Ms Fulani shared a rundown of the conversation, which took place at a major gathering hosted by the Queen Consort to highlight violence against women and girls, on social media, describing it as a “violation” and saying the experience will “never leave me”.
However, the Charity Commission is examining a series of allegations over the running of Sistah Space, according to the New Telegraph.
In a statement, the watchdog said it was “assessing material” posted on social media questioning the charity’s finances and organisation.
The Greater London Assembly’s finance chief has also been asked to ensure that grants to Sistah Space “have been used as intended”.
The charity has come under public scrutiny after the race row involving Lady Hussey.
The backlash against Ms Fulani - including vitriolic abuse on social media - prompted the charity to announce last week it had temporarily ceased working over safety fears for its staff and clients.
A lengthy analysis of Sistah Space’s operations, posted on Twitter by an anonymous user, has led to the charity watchdog beginning a preliminary examination.
According to the report, the social media posts - more than 200 in total - have been widely circulated as a sign that the Buckingham Palace race row, which was deeply embarrassing to the Royal household, continues to attract huge interest.
In the posts, allegations are made concerning the running of Sistah Space. The charity was formed in 2015, a year after the murder of a black woman and her daughter by an abusive ex-partner amid criticism of police for their "inaction" in response to earlier threats. The charity provides advice and advocacy to women and girls from the African and Afro-Caribbean communities.
The charity’s latest yearly accounts to March 31 2021 show it received a little over £357,000 in grants, project funding and donations, an increase from £50,000 in 2018-19.
Funding has come from a variety of sources including the Greater London Assembly (GLA), the Department for Culture, Media, Digital and Sport, and Comic Relief, which gave Sistah Space £60,000 to improve its website and online support.
A Charity Commission spokesman said: “We are assessing material posted on social media about the charity Sistah Space to determine whether it raises matters that fall within the Charity Commission’s remit.”
The watchdog stressed it had not opened any regulatory compliance case or statutory inquiry and declined to comment further.
The chairman of the Greater London Assembly’s audit panel has also requested that finance chiefs reexamine grants given to the charity in 2019 and 2020.
Neil Garratt, a Conservative assembly member, said: "The allegations made about Sistah Space's use of GLA grants remain unproven at this stage; however, it is right that credible concerns be investigated to ensure public money is spent properly.
“I have asked the chief finance officer to look into this issue and report back as soon as possible."
Sistah Space, based in Hackney in east London, admits in its most recent accounts it has had “issues” in managing its growth since it was formally registered as a charity in 2018. Its most recent accounts were posted 69 days late.
In its annual report, the charity said: “The sudden increase meant we had to develop a new way of working to ensure we were current with financial regulations and reporting… This financial year 2021 has proved to be our most challenging but equally our most successful year.”
The charity said its accounts officer was “off for a very long time” with Covid and “it was difficult trying to find a replacement”. The replacement of the finance officer, said the charity, “caused a massive disruption in the organisation’s ability to record accounts in a timely manner”.
In its accounts, the charity said: “We have now engaged an independent accounting firm and are confident that any issues are a thing of the past.”