The investigation by the charity regulator will look at the organisation of Walsall Wood Saints Junior Football Club as well as another charity Walsall Wood Community Football Club, which it is linked with.
The probes have been launched after both failed to submit financial information to the regulator for two or more years out of five, which they are required to do by law.
The junior club failed to supply its accounts for the year ending May 2023 and its previous year’s financial information was found to be “non-compliant”. It is currently almost a year late in filing its most recent accounts.
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Its latest available accounts for the year ending May 2022 show its income was £44,570, while it spent £44,640.
“The junior club was set up to arrange activities related to football, including coaching, fun and league games, together with social and fundraising activities for children in the local community", details the regulator.
Meanwhile, Walsall Wood Community Football Club failed to submit accounts correctly between 2020 and 2022. This was set up “with similar aims for the wider community and the promotion of healthy recreation” as the youth focused club.
The management of both charities by its trustees and whether they are meeting their legal obligations will be looked at. This includes whether the charities have “a sufficient number of willing and capable trustees”.
The regulator will also investigate whether there has been any misconduct or mismanagement at the charities and may extend the scope of its investigation “if additional regulatory issues emerge”.
According to latest available figures Walsall was ranked 14th in the child poverty index in 2019 and its deprivation level has increased over time having been ranked 27th four years prior to this.
According to recent charity sector research many charities are struggling amid rising costs and increased demand for their support.
One in five said last year that they will have to cut back on support they can offer. One in three said they were concerned about increasing demand, according to the VCSE Data and Insights National Observatory, which is published by think tank Pro Bono Economics and Nottingham Trent University.
