Whistleblower’s claims sparked community probe

COPPICE Community Centre.

“Taxpayers’ money being wasted” claim
FUTURE funding for Coppice Community Centre could be in danger following a whistleblower’s exposure of a string of “improper practices”.

In-house job offers, cash-in-hand payments and members failing to disclose interests during board meetings have caused the centre to be run “dysfunctionally and ineffectively”, claims the concerned ex-member.

One committee member even wrote a cheque to himself — a breach of financial controls to prevent fraud.

The whistleblower’s complaints led to a council investigation which resulted in recommendations to the centre’s management.

The centre is funded by Oldham Council’s Priority Programme Fund and bound by its rules on employment and the distribution of public grants.

The former member - who asked to remain anonymous - contacted the council outraged that public money was being used “unprofessionally”.

He said: “Money is being wasted, taxpayers’ money is being used irresponsibly and I can’t stand to see that. All funding to the centre should be stopped until this situation is sorted out.”

The council has warned that problems must be addressed before the centre will be considered for future funding.

Oldham Council’s head of community cohesion support, Bruce Penhale, wrote: “People have been employed to undertake work for the centre without the preparation of job descriptions or any process of advertisement.

“There are repeated instances in which companies have undertaken work but cheques have been made payable to individuals. The Centre could be retrospectively charged for tax and national insurance if it has not made sure of the employment status of those employed.

He wrote that the cheque to a management committee member, signed by that member, was “poor practice” that couldn’t demonstrate proper financial controls to prevent fraud. In other cases board members had been involved in decisions that might have raised a conflict of interests.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Co-operatives and Community Development, said: “Like most community centres, this is run by volunteers who may well find external support and guidance helpful. We believe working to find a satisfactory solution is the best course of action.”

Chairman of Coppice Community Centre, Zulfiqar Mohammed, said the centre will now work with the council to improve practices.


Only a small number of our daily stories appear, heavily edited, on this site. For the full story read our print or eChron editions.
Follow us on Twitter - @OldhamChronicle