A watchdog has given a north-east suicide prevention group a ticking off for “misrepresenting” itself as a charity.
The World Suicide Prevention Project (TWSPP) was formed on the Cairnbulg Estate, near Fraserburgh, in 2022 in an attempt to boost the mental health of people in the region and help those in need.
We reported last month that those behind the organisation had decided to call it quits.
It also emerged that the independent regulator and registrar for charities in Scotland – OSCR – was making inquiries into the group’s affairs.
OSCR bosses have now given the Press and Journal an update on its findings.
They have concluded that the organisation “is mispresenting itself”.
Charity watchdog’s probe
The issue is that TWSPP was formed in June 2022 as a community interest company (CIC).
On April 12 2023, a separate limited company, The World Suicide Prevention Project, was registered as a Scottish charity.
In OSCR’s judgement, the organisation was wrong for conflating the two groups in social media posts.
In its findings, which have been published online, OSCR concluded: “On this date [April 12], TWSPP announced on its Facebook page, and on LinkedIn, that TWSPP was now a registered charity.
“From 12 April 2023 the posts on the TWSPP Facebook pages are misleading and imply that the fundraising activities are being carried out by and for the charity when they are not.
“All funds raised by said fundraising activities went to TWSPP CIC, not the charity; TWSPP CIC has been misrepresenting itself as the charity called The World Suicide Prevention Project.”
The report added: “On May 3 2024 OSCR issued a direction requiring TWSPP CIC to stop representing itself as a charity registered in Scotland.
“This direction is valid for six months and expires on November 3 2024.
“The direction can be revoked or varied by OSCR during this period if it determines it appropriate to do so.”
A CIC is a special type of limited company that exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders.
It cannot be a charity or represent itself as a charity.
An OSCR spokesman said: “Our inquiries to date have identified that a separate organisation called TWSPP CIC has been misrepresenting itself as the charity.
“We have taken action to deal with this issue and this is explained in this report.
“The charity has been given our consent to wind up and our inquiries are ongoing.”
Founder: ‘Every single penny has been accounted for’
TWSPP founder Danny Thain, who according to his partner’s social media is currently travelling the world and intends to stay in Bali for the next two months, posted his reaction to OSCR’s report on Facebook.
He said that the CIC was set up with the intention of buying a rehabilitation centre.
But, when that became impossible and TWSPP lost its deposit for the centre, it agreed to put all its money into the charity.
Mr Thain said: “When we first set up TWSPP – as everybody knew – it was set up as a CIC.
“It was get up and go, you could set it up instantly and you could take donations safely and securely and trusted.
“We lost our deposit (for the rehabilitation centre).
‘OSCR has had to do their job’
“The whole idea (then) was to pass absolutely everything on to the charity.
“Our accountant said ‘do your accounts first for transparency and then pass everything over the charity’.
“By the time we did our accounts, I was extremely burnt out and ready to completely walk away and it’s brought us to now.
“Because we went to wind up the charity, OSCR has had to do their job.
“Every single penny has been accounted for.
“All the accounts have been done.
“OSCR has only done their job and has represented it the way that it was.
“It wasn’t because I was trying to hide anything.”
In April 2023, Mr Thain completed a 4,200-mile cycle challenge around Britain and raised more than £60,000 for good causes.
And last month, he handed over a cheque for more than £13,500 to Aberdeenshire Child and Youth Support Services.
