Sterling Foundation under investigation by UK Charity Commission for overdue accounts

Hupu Football News — July 23rd

The Telegraph reports that a charitable foundation founded by Raheem Sterling is under investigation by the UK Charity Commission for failing to submit financial accounts as required by law for over two years. The foundation insists they have "nothing to hide."

Background of the Foundation

The Sterling Foundation was established five years ago. At the time, Sterling—who was still playing for Manchester City and the England national team—along with his mother Nadine Clarke, were among the four trustees of the foundation.

Former Manchester City Chief Operating Officer Chris Bird subsequently became the foundation's CEO. Manchester City's official website stated at the time that the foundation would work in Jamaica, the UK, and other regions to promote social mobility, education, and youth empowerment, helping young people overcome difficulties and realize their potential.

Sterling was born in Jamaica. In 2022, he returned there as a foundation representative, playing football with Prince William and meeting Kate Middleton during the royal Caribbean tour.

Regulatory Issues

Since its establishment, the foundation has only submitted one set of financial accounts. It has now been placed under a special investigation by the Charity Commission for consecutive late submissions.

The Charity Commission stated that such investigations primarily focus on potential misconduct or management failures by charity trustees and require them to rectify the failure to submit annual documents within the legal deadline. If other serious regulatory issues are discovered during the investigation, the case will be referred for a separate statutory investigation.

The Charity Commission had previously reminded the foundation multiple times to submit the relevant documents and issued a final warning to the trustees last month, but the foundation still has not completed the submission.

As of Thursday, the accounts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, were 814 days overdue.

A Charity Commission spokesperson said:

"Although the Commission has been in communication with the charity recently, they have still not submitted the overdue accounting information, so they have been included in a special investigation for consecutive late submissions. We will also review the charity's current actual operational status."

Responses from the Foundation

The Telegraph first learned of the foundation's failure to submit accounts about four months ago and sought responses from Sterling and CEO Bird.

Bird stated at the time that the delay was due to his health issues the previous year and promised that the missing accounts would be published within 14 days. However, since then, the foundation's official website has become inaccessible.

When asked about the Charity Commission's investigation this Thursday, Bird said:

"This is news to me as well. When I communicated with them yesterday, they didn't say they were investigating."

Regarding why the accounts were still not submitted in April, Bird responded:

"The responsibility is entirely mine; it's a matter of timing. The work is ongoing, and we have nothing to hide; it's just a matter of time and health issues."

He also stated that the foundation's work and payments are continuing, and the sponsored students have graduated in the past week. The website's inaccessibility is just a technical glitch, unrelated to unpaid hosting fees.

Sterling, who is currently without a club, declined to comment. Sources close to him revealed that Sterling and his mother were previously unaware of the Charity Commission's involvement. As they have recently focused primarily on Sterling's physical and mental health, they left the foundation's daily operations to others.

Sterling's Recent Legal and Career Developments

The report also noted that Sterling was arrested in May this year on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and possessing a Class C controlled substance and is currently on police bail.

The 31-year-old Sterling briefly played for Feyenoord at the end of last season after terminating his contract with Chelsea and becoming a free agent.

Sterling joined Manchester City from Liverpool in 2015, winning:

• Four Premier League titles
• Five League Cup titles
• One FA Cup

After moving to Chelsea in 2022, his form noticeably declined. Two seasons ago, Sterling was loaned to Arsenal. Although Arteta, who had worked with him at Manchester City, supported keeping him, Arsenal ultimately did not make the move permanent. He was without a team this season until briefly playing in the Eredivisie in February.

Sterling has made 82 appearances for the England national team and participated in three World Cups. His last appearance for England was at the 2022 World Cup. In 2019, he won the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

Foundation Activities and Partnerships

Sterling officially launched the foundation at his alma mater in November 2021. He said at the time that his growth relied on faith, family, mentors, and opportunities, and he hoped to use his personal experiences, successes, and setbacks to help young people achieve their goals and become their best selves.

The foundation subsequently partnered with mental health charities Headspace and The Promise Foundation to provide one-on-one mentoring for teenagers aged 13 to 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The foundation also collaborated with Talksport and several universities in London and Manchester. In 2024, they announced a partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to help Jamaica combat mosquito-borne diseases after Hurricane Beryl.

In April this year, the foundation also launched two undergraduate scholarships with the University of Football Business, targeting Black, African, and Caribbean students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds in Greater London or Greater Manchester.

Source: Daily Telegraph

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