Charity Commission Confirms Protective Orders

The Charity Commission has confirmed that it has issued protective legal orders to safeguard assets held by Big Help Group Ltd, including any proceeds from the sale of shares in Southport Football Club.

In response to enquiries made by local media, the Commission provided an official statement outlining the situation. The Charity Commission was asked to comment following a statement made by the prospective majority shareholders of Southport Football Club on 14 May in which it was stated that “the formal completion of the takeover has been delayed due to an ongoing investigation into The Big Help Group’s activities by The Charities Commission“.

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said:

“We have an ongoing statutory inquiry into Big Help Project to assess a number of concerns, including whether the charity has accurately accounted for its funds and assets in line with legal requirements and if conflicts of interest have been adequately managed.

We have recently issued two legal orders, which are temporary, protective measures to ensure Big Help Project’s assets and/or funds are protected. This includes any proceeds from the sale of shares Big Help Group Ltd has held or still holds in Southport Football Club on trust for the charity. We have similarly issued an order preventing Big Help Group Ltd from disposing of any funds it holds on trust for Big Help Project without the prior consent of the Commission.

The purpose of these orders is not to prevent the sale of Southport FC, but to ensure we can protect funds or assets that belong to the charity.”

According to the Commission, these actions fall under section 76 of the Charities Act 2011 and are part of its statutory powers to safeguard charitable assets while an inquiry is ongoing. A statutory inquiry allows the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern relating to a charity and, where necessary, apply protective measures for the benefit of the charity, its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation.

The Charity Commission publicly announced in February 2024 that it had opened a statutory inquiry into Big Help Project. The Commission also stated that it may extend the scope of the inquiry if additional concerns arise. No conclusions have been reached at this stage but the Commission has confirmed that it will publish a report of its findings once the inquiry concludes.

While the Charity Commission has been clear that its orders are designed to protect the charity’s assets, and not to prevent any sale of the club itself, this situation helps explain why the proposed takeover of Southport FC is taking longer than expected.

The prospective majority shareholders have already appointed a first-team manager and assistant, but any change of control remains subject to formal approval by both the National League and The FA. The added requirement for the Charity Commission’s consent in relation to any sale of shares held by Big Help Group Ltd may have contributed to the overall complexity and timing of the process.

The official statement issued by the prospective majority shareholders of Southport Football Club on 14 May stated that “the ownership of the club has now been transferred to myself (David Cunningham) and Kieran Malone”. However, this now appears to conflict with the confirmation provided by the Charity Commission, which stated that Big Help Group Ltd is subject to protective legal orders preventing it from disposing of any shares or proceeds from the sale of shares in Southport Football Club without the prior consent of the Commission. The Charity Commission’s statement would therefore appear to raise doubt over whether any final legal transfer of shares has yet taken place.

The club remains in an unusual position, with day-to-day football decisions taking place while the final regulatory processes involving the Charity Commission, National League and FA continue. There remains no official confirmation of completion of the ownership change.

In a statement to Stephen Killen’s Off The Park, a Big Help Group (BHG) spokesperson said:

“BHG can only reiterate once again that no charity funds have ever been expended on Southport or used to support the purchase of the club.

“That being said, it would be improper for us to comment further whilst we await the outcome of our appeal into the Charity Commission’s actions to date.”

Editor: The original version of this article did not contain the statement from the Big Help Group.

Disclaimer:
This article reports on official statements issued by the Charity Commission, Southport Football Club, and other publicly available information. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorised by, or representative of Southport Football Club, The National League, The FA, The Charity Commission, Big Help Group Ltd, or any other individuals or organisations referenced. No statements are intended to allege or imply wrongdoing by any party. If any material is found to be factually inaccurate, we welcome and will consider corrections.

Sources: Press release: Regulator investigates anti-poverty charity (5th Feb 2024)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/regulator-investigates-anti-poverty-charity

OTS News (16th May 2025) https://www.otsnews.co.uk/big-help-group-departs-southport-fc-during-ongoing-charity-inquiry/

Club Statement (14th May 2025) https://southportfc.net/new-ownership-update/

Off the Park (16 May 2025) https://offthepark.substack.com/p/charity-commission-offer-clarity