The Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust, formerly known as the Hope Not Hate Charitable Trust, has addressed public concerns. The Charity Commission for England and Wales confirmed the closure of its regulatory compliance case after the charity had taken sufficient corrective action.
Hope Not Hate Charitable Trust Implements Reforms
According to a post by the Charity Commission, this disclosure follows repeated public complaints. Over several years, the public had complained that the activities of Hope Not Hate Limited were not clearly distinguishable from those of the charity.
In 2024, the Commission directed trustees to improve transparency about the charity’s work and its links to the similarly named company. After fresh concerns emerged, the regulator opened a formal case in July 2025 and demanded a progress update.
Following this engagement, the charity, in a statement, says it implemented several changes.
The charity notes that it altered its name and recruited three new independent trustees. It also revised its website to remove ambiguous references to the non-charitable company.
“The trustees also appointed a new charity secretary and pledged to hire a paid administrator and a paid grants manager with no prior role at Hope Not Hate Limited, further distancing the management of the two entities.”
Commission Criticises Pace of Change Despite Progress
While the Commission now closed the case, it criticised the trustees for the slow pace of action. They have also noted that limited progress had been made by the time the 2025 case was opened, despite prior warnings.
According to the statement, the regulator has also set an expectation for the charity. This is to fully evidence its grant-making decisions when required.
It also acknowledged the development of new grant criteria by the charity, but noted the available detail remains limited.
In a related development, the UK Government has shared information on the Charity Annual Return to help charities registered in England or Wales make their filings. Charities in England and Wales must submit their annual returns to the Charity Commission each year, reporting their income and spending.
Similarly, two Church of England dioceses have received formal warnings from the UK’s Charity Commission for improperly handling safeguarding issues.
The Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance and the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance were found to have breached the regulator’s guidance and trustee duties.
