Head of failed LGBT domestic violence charity Broken Rainbow given boardroom ban
The CEO of a failed LGBT domestic violence charity which did not pay all of its taxes was formally banned from being a director today.
Jo Harvey-Barringer was previously the CEO and a director of Broken Rainbow, the UK’s only national domestic violence helpline for LGBT people.
The charity, which relied heavily on funding from the Home Office, closed in June 2016 following chaotic financial mismanagement.
(Manchester PCC)
Anthea Simpson, a Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said that the ban would serve as a warning that “directors have a duty to ensure businesses meet their legal obligations, including paying taxes.”
She added: “Deliberate neglect of tax affairs whilst paying others is not a victimless action as it deprives the taxpayer of the funds needed to operate public services.”
Leaked documents published by BuzzFeed after the charity’s closure revealed that funds largely donated by the Home Office were allegedly squandered on first-class travel for executives and luxury gifts.
Government grants and Comic Relief funds intended to cover three months of running costs were spent in just 24 hours.
The charity received £1.4million in public funds during its 11-year existence.
A probe which reported last year by the public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO) found that the charity’s financial management had been “chaotic” and “did not comply with regulatory requirements over a number of years.”
