- The founders of a network of Christian charities express “complete confidence” in the Charity Commission investigation
- They call on it to look into how a Conservative politician with “absolutely no experience” has been appointed to run Barnabas Aid
- They raise concerns about the independence of the law firm appointed by Lord Reading
- Barclays Bank has frozen some of the charities’ accounts until the matter is sorted out
The founders of the Barnabas network of charities have welcomed the Charity Commission’s investigation into the group and asked the Commission to look into the background of two of the men who are trying to take control of the £100 million group.
Caroline Kerslake (aged 63), who helped found the charity along with Patrick and Rosemary Sookhdeo (aged 78 and 81), said “we have devoted our lives to successfully building up the network of charities and now, as we prepared to retire, we have instead faced the ugliest of battles. As a trustee, I have complete confidence in the Charity Commission and am hoping that, after its investigation, the whole board will be able to move forward.”
The men the founders are concerned about are:
Colin Bloom: in April he was made CEO of the group by Lord Reading. “This was despite him having absolutely no experience at running an international charity. There are hundreds of other people who do have the right experience,” said Dr Patrick Sookhdeo. Mr Bloom previously worked in politics: he was appointed by Boris Johnson to write a report on faith and later campaigned for Liz Truss to become Prime Minister. This year several newspapers reported that a vetting company Mr Bloom ran, failed in its job of screening general election candidates. [1] Three years ago, The Observer reported that Mr Bloom was a director of the “fraudulent” company, Umuthi Healthcare. [2] Lord Reading has given Mr Bloom a five-year contract.
Lord Reading: was exposed three years ago by the Sunday Times for trying to sell access to Vladimir Putin using Prince Michael of Kent. [3] Last month, The Telegraph reported that he took £50,000 from charitable funds to defend himself against those allegations, but instead used the money to pay his rent. [4] The Telegraph said that he had also worked as an “agent” for the notorious Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky. [5] After that he became Chairman of a corrupt Nigerian company called Visionscape. [6] Mr Bloom contends that Lord Reading is the Chairman of Barnabas Aid, the UK charity. However, following The Telegraph’s revelations about Lord Reading, Mr Bloom has said that “necessary steps” may be taken against him. [7]
In April, Mr Bloom and Lord Reading recruited an American law firm to pursue allegations against the founders they were trying to oust.
The lawyers
The firm, Crowell & Moring, pays its partners £1 million a year. [8] It has accused Patrick and Rosemary of taking £1.3 million from charitable funds. “What Crowell failed to say is that we received this over the course of 40 years; if we had been on the minimum wage we would have earned £1.6 million. We were paid mostly in ring-fenced ‘love gifts’ given by supporters for our day-to-day needs. Perhaps Crowell’s partners are not expert in the 1980s Christian culture of personalised gifts being given to those living by faith in lieu of salaries,” said Dr Sookhdeo.
Crowell has sent the Sookhdeos a letter demanding they give the money back. [9] Yet even Lord Reading’s backers say that none of the money is owed. [10]
Dr Sookhdeo said of the law firm, “given that ‘he who pays the piper, calls the tune’ and these ‘pipers’ are extremely well paid, it is difficult to see them as independent of their clients.”
The scoundrel
The dispute is being played out in the wake of the unmasking of the charity’s CEO as a fraudster and forger. Noel Frost was appointed CEO in 2023. By the end of that year the founders were pressing him over his failure to provide the board with financial statements.
That appeared to prompt a reaction from Mr Frost: in February 2024 the founders learnt that he was plotting to oust them from the charity and was organising complaints against them which in turn caused other trustees to turn against them.
In May 2024 the trustee, Philip Richards, who founded the hedge fund RAB Capital, uncovered documents showing that Mr Frost had, in 2022, been disbarred as a solicitor by the South Africa High Court for fraud and forgery. The Court found him to be a “grossly dishonest individual who is a threat to the public and a disgrace to the profession.” [11]
The judges asked for a warning to be sent to the UK where they suspected he had moved to.
Barnabas was not warned. And as The Telegraph reported, there is evidence that Mr Frost continued his fraudulent behaviour while heading the charity.
Dr Sookhdeo said “for decades these charities have been helping persecuted Christians around the world. Now that my beloved Rosemary and I are both terminally ill, we are determined to stop the vultures circling around the £100 million assets which are desperately needed by those still suffering for their faith”.
Barclays Bank have frozen some of the charities accounts while the dispute is sorted out.
Contact: Ian Gregory, Abzed Communications 07930 352 333
Sources – NB attachments mentioned below will be sent on request
[1] Colin Bloom’s vetting company was accused by Nigel Farage of failing in its job of screening Reform Party general election candidates:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nigel-farage-reform-uk-general-election-b2564488.html and https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13604637/Nigel-Farage-vows-clean-Reform-UKs-act-Newly-elected-MP-announces-taking-legal-action-against-firm-tasked-vetting-partys-candidates-racism-homophobia-scandals.html and https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/28586157/nigel-farage-vetting-nazi-sympathisers/
[2] In 2021, The Observer reported that Colin Bloom was a director of the allegedly fraudulent company Umuthi Healthcare. Millions of non-existent shares were said to have been sold to investors before flotation. Colin Bloom said he knew nothing about this: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/oct/24/anger-over-shambolic-phone-app-shares-sale
[3] The Sunday Times “Kremlin access” investigation into Lord Reading: https://www.thetimes.com/article/prince-michael-of-kent-selling-access-to-the-putinistas-gbb99pcx6
[4] The Daily Telegraph reported that Lord Reading received a £50,000 payment to defend himself against allegations over selling access to the Kremlin but instead used the money to pay his rent: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/21/marquess-lord-reading-barnabas-aid-prince-michael-of-kent/ See also, paragraph 181 of BT 240813 Crowell Interim Report
[5] According to the Daily Telegraph, Lord Reading has met the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The paper said he was previously an agent for oligarch Boris Berezovsky: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/21/marquess-lord-reading-barnabas-aid-prince-michael-of-kent/ See also profile report BT 240801 Sapient Insight Simon Reading
[6] Lord Reading was chairman of a Nigerian rubbish collection company. See: https://moneycentral.com.ng/exclusive/article/the-lagos-visionscape-garbage-scandal-and-attempts-at-a-cover-up/ and https://nairametrics.com/2018/10/08/visionscape-shuts-operations-in-lagos/ See also profile report BT 240801 Sapient Insight Simon Reading
[7] Last month Barnabas staff were told that “necessary steps” may be taken against Lord Reading. See: BT 240925 Barnabas FAQ re Simon Reading
[8] On average Crowell’s equity partners earn $1.3 million (£980,000) each year. Source: https://www.crowell.com/a/web/4Q7TJGnCggr28mLj6WwMyU/crowell-and-moring-posts-double-digit-revenue-spike.pdf
[9] In August 2024, Crowell wrote to Dr Sookhdeo asking he repay the money. Source: BT 240813 Crowell Letter to Patrick Sookhdeo
[10] A letter from a trustee supporting Lord Reading stated “I can’t understand any repayment is required at all.” Source: BT 240924 Letter to Patrick Sookhdeo
[11] South African High Court ruling disbarred Noel Frost as solicitor for being “grossly dishonest”, with the instruction the Solicitors Regulation Authority for England and Wales be informed. See page 3: BT 220603 South Africa High Court order
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