The Charity Commission has issued an official warning to Lewisham Islamic Centre after finding misconduct and or mismanagement linked to two sermons the regulator said were inflammatory, divisive and not in the charity’s best interests. The warning requires the charity to tighten how it handles speakers and events at its premises.
The notice will stay on the charity’s entry on the Register of Charities for a year. If Lewisham Islamic Centre does not remedy the failings identified by the Commission, further regulatory action may follow.
Charity Commission warning
The Commission opened a regulatory compliance case after complaints were raised about sermons delivered at the charity. It then assessed evidence related to those sermons and other events held at the premises before making a finding of misconduct and or mismanagement.
The warning focuses on the charity’s management of activity taking place on site. According to the Commission, the charity needs to ensure all activity on its premises furthers its objects, benefits the public and is in its best interests. It also says activity associated with the charity must not unnecessarily risk damaging its reputation.
Lewisham Islamic Centre objects
Lewisham Islamic Centre was established to advance the Islamic faith and education, provide recreational facilities and activities, and relieve poverty. The regulator’s finding sits alongside those objects, because the warning says the charity should make sure its events and speakers support, rather than undermine, its stated purpose.
The centre has been told to review, implement and follow a robust and suitable events and speakers policy that applies to all of its speakers. That means the rules are not meant to sit on paper alone; they are supposed to govern every speaker and event linked to the charity’s premises.
Register of Charities record
The warning will remain visible on the charity’s register entry for a year, giving the public a record of the regulator’s action. For anyone using the Register of Charities to assess a charity’s governance, the entry now shows that the Commission has already identified failings in the way Lewisham Islamic Centre handled speaker events.
The unresolved issue is practical rather than abstract: whether the charity can now put a clear policy in place and follow it closely enough to avoid more action from the Commission.
