Regulator Probes Seven Dials Playhouse Finances
The Charity Commission has launched a statutory inquiry into Seven Dials Playhouse due to ongoing concerns over its long-term financial viability.
Seven Dials Playhouse ‘s purpose is to advance education and the arts for public benefit through research, discussions, seminars and vocational training. It also has a purpose to provide facilities for the arts (especially theatre), and to produce educational plays.
The Commission has been engaging with the charity since 2024 regarding its decision to sell its Central London property, wider concerns around its finances, and how the charity is being managed.
The Commission continued its engagement to further assess financial concerns as part of a regulatory compliance case. As part of this engagement, the charity has provided several revised drafts of a business plan to the Commission. However, this has failed to reassure the regulator of the charity’s long-term financial viability and has therefore raised concerns about significant risks to the charity’s funds.
The regulator has now launched a statutory inquiry, enabling it to use its full suite of regulatory powers to investigate Seven Dials Playhouse.
The Inquiry will examine if the trustees have complied with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of the charity, and in particular:
the charity’s financial management, including the trustees’ plans for its future financial sustainability
whether the charity is being managed in accordance with its governing document and is operating in furtherance of its objects
whether there has been misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
The scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge during the Commission’s investigation.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-to-investigate-seven-dials-playhouse-over-financial-concerns