City & Guilds London Institute trustees accused of stalling inquiry into 166m sale

"Members of the 148-year-old body voted overwhelmingly last month for the trustee board to trigger what would be the third investigation into how the foundation sold its operations to the private operator PeopleCert in October. However, members complained that the process then seemed to have stalled. The poll followed the Charity Commission opening a statutory inquiry in January, which was mirrored a day later by PeopleCert commissioning its own internal investigation into the deal."

"Neil Bates, an elected member of the City & Guilds council, which appoints and advises the trustees, said: Why would they not be accountable for decisions made if everything was above board? It is shocking there has been such a catastrophic failure of governance and subsequently a failure of accountability. While the council has the power to appoint City & Guilds trustees, it cannot dismiss them unless misconduct has been shown."

"There is 166m that is what is left of the City & Guilds legacy, Bates added. We want to remove this trustee board from having responsibility for those funds and replace them with people properly equipped to restore good governance to the City & Guilds organisation."

"A spokesperson for the charity said: The trustees remain committed to working constructively with members to find a clear and proportionate way forward in the best interests of the charity. We are reviewing options to shape this approach, ensuring we address members' concerns while avoiding unnecessary duplication with the Charity Commission's investigation. Our priority is to safeguard the integrity and future of the Institute."

Members voted overwhelmingly to trigger a third investigation into how City & Guilds London Institute sold its training and accreditation business to PeopleCert for 166m last October. A statutory inquiry was opened by the Charity Commission in January, and PeopleCert commissioned an internal investigation the following day. Members complained that the investigation process then stalled. An elected council member said trustees should be accountable for decisions if the sale was above board and described governance and accountability failures as catastrophic. The council can appoint trustees but cannot dismiss them without misconduct. The charity said trustees remain committed to working with members, reviewing options to address concerns while avoiding unnecessary duplication with the Charity Commission’s inquiry, and prioritizing the institute’s integrity and future.

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