Statement on the Scoop Foundation for Public Interest Journalism from the Independent Charities Registration Board

Published 16 July 2019

In its decision dated 15 July 2019 the independent Charities Registration Board (the “Board”) has decided to decline the Scoop Foundation for Public Interest Journalism’s (the “Trust”) application to be a registered charity because it does not advance exclusively charitable purposes.

The role of the Board is to maintain the integrity of the Charities Register by ensuring that entities on the Charities Register qualify for registration.

The Board makes its decisions by applying the law to the facts before it. The Board must decline to register applications from organisations when they do not advance exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit.

The Board has declined the Trust’s application to be registered because it does not advance exclusively charitable purposes.

Although the Board considers that Trust’s stated purposes are charitable under the advancement of education, the Trust has not demonstrated that its relationship with Scoop Publishing Limited (“the Company”) advances a charitable purpose. One of the Trust’s main activities is providing support to the Company.  Based on the information provided by the Trust, the Board is not satisfied that the Company’s income will be ultimately applied to charitable purposes. The Trust has not shown that the Company is capable of raising funds for charitable purpose. The Trust has also not provided evidence that there are sufficient protections in place to ensure that the Trust does not provide benefits to the Company or to individuals associated with the Company. 

Roger Holmes Miller

Charities Registration Board

View the decision here(external link)