Shop ‘claimed to be charity store for 18 years without any links to good cause’ 

A children’s charity has claimed a shop wrongly traded under their name for almost 20 years.

Second Chance, which works with abused, impoverished and learning disabled children, said the shop has not given them funds since 2006, despite continuing to use its name above the door.

The charity permitted the opening of the store in Erith, East London, in 2005, but the agreement ended a year later and they received no further funds, reported News Shopper.

However, an accountant discovered that the store had continued trading with the charity’s branding over the last 18 years.

Watchdog the Charity Commission confirmed that Second Chance has filed a serious incident report ‘relating to concerns of a charity shop trading under its name without its knowledge’.

The children’s charity has the backing of celebrity patrons, including Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong.

It raises money to take disadvantaged youth on excursions such as fishing trips and woodland retreats.

In April 2023, CEO Doug Hulme was contacted by an accountant who said that they were working for one of Second Chance’s charity shops, and wanted to ask why the accounts were ‘sole trader’ instead of a charity.

Hulme quickly realised the issue, as the charity no longer had any stores.

‘We replied that we didn’t have any charity shops so it wasn’t us,’ he said.

‘They replied by sending us a photo of the shop in question and it was resplendent in our logo and Charity Commission number.

‘We recognised the shop from 2005 and… asked the accountants to advise their client to stop trading at once under our name.’

Despite this, the signs that associated the store with the charity remained up.

A spokesperson for Bexley Council’s Trading Standards department said: ‘Council officers attended the premises the same day and also spoke to a relative of the former business owner.

‘The premises has since been instructed to remove any signage reflecting the name “Second Chance” and any charity number.

‘The council’s Trading Standards team and Metropolitan Police Service will continue to liaise with relevant bodies as investigations continue.’

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a report had been made to them regarding the incident, however no arrests have been made at this stage.

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