Achiezer
Registered charity in England and Wales
| Achiezer
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Unincorporated charitable trust (removed) |
| Founded | Declaration of Trust 15 February 1964; registered 8 April 1964 |
| Dissolved | Removed from the register 7 April 2022 (ceased to exist) |
| Registration ID | 234038 |
| Location | England and Wales |
| Key people | Sidney Chontow; David Chontow; Michael Chontow |
Achiezer (charity number 234038) was an unincorporated English charity governed by a declaration of trust dated 15 February 1964 and registered on 8 April 1964. Its published activity was grants to poor persons and charitable institutions within the community. Objects covered relief of aged, impotent and poor persons (including interest-free loans repayable by instalments) and other purposes beneficial to the community and charitable. It operated throughout England and Wales. The Charity Commission removed it from the register on 7 April 2022 as having ceased to exist.[1][2]
It is a separate legal body from the still-registered Achiezer Va'Achisomoch Trust (271610) of 38 Heathland Road, London N16, and from Achiezer Association Ltd (255031), which shared trustees with Achiezer 234038.
Sister charity
Achiezer Association Ltd (255031) had the same trustees and similar objects (relief of poverty, assistance of the elderly, advancement of education and religion). A statutory inquiry into both bodies was opened on 23 June 2015 and announced on 6 August 2015. The inquiry into Achiezer 234038 later closed; the class inquiry into the Association was described in 2015 as ongoing at the point the joint investigation was announced.[3]
People
Trustees
The only trustees were three brothers. Michael Chontow died before the 2015 inquiry opened. David Chontow died in September 2020. Sidney Chontow and David Chontow were removed as trustees of Achiezer Association Ltd on 25 August 2020 under section 79(4) of the Charities Act and thereby disqualified from acting as charity trustees.[4][5]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sidney Chontow | Trustee | Removed/disqualified August 2020; partner in Dasim Partners |
| David Chontow | Trustee | Removed/disqualified August 2020; died September 2020; partner in Dasim Partners |
| Michael Chontow | Trustee | Died before the June 2015 inquiry opened |
There were no independent trustees.[2]
Historic trustees
Trustees as listed in archived snapshots of the Charity Commission register (first and last snapshot in which each name appears; not a record of actual appointment or resignation dates).
| Name | First seen | Last seen | Snapshots listing name |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Chontow | 25 February 2009 | 2 January 2019 | 10 [6][7] |
| Michael Meyer Chontow | 25 February 2009 | 6 January 2015 | 7 [6][8] |
| Sidney Shalom Chontow | 25 February 2009 | 2 January 2019 | 10 [6][7] |
Inquiry and findings
Achiezer was first drawn into a Commission “double defaulters” class inquiry after it failed to file accounts for years including 2010–12 (accounts late for five consecutive years 2010–14).[3][2] Continuing default, and concerns about trading subsidiaries and a company associated with the trustees, led to a statutory inquiry into both Achiezer and Achiezer Association Ltd, opened 23 June 2015.[3]
On 30 October 2018 the Commission appointed Geoffrey Carton-Kelly and Jason Baker of FRP Advisory LLP as joint interim managers of both charities under section 76(3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011, to the exclusion of the then trustees.[9]
The published inquiry report (19 August 2022) concluded there was serious misconduct and/or mismanagement, including:
- failure to file accounts and returns on time over several years;
- payments totalling £129,800 (2014–16) to Dasim Partners, a property development firm in which Sidney and David Chontow were partners, with no independent trustees and an unclear basis for the payments;
- failure to distinguish the charity from connected entities or to manage conflicts of interest;
- personal benefit to Sidney Chontow, including use of charity funds in connection with business rates on a property owned by Gebedee Limited (an example payment of £1,556.40 on 26 May 2016 to a local council).[2][5]
Sidney Chontow later paid outstanding business rates to Bury Council. Remaining funds of more than £400,000 were distributed to charities with similar aims. Register notes of 7 April 2022 record transfers including to The Association of Jewish Refugees (1149882) and the Holocaust Educational Trust (1092892). The charity was then wound up and removed.[1][5]
The 2022 inquiry page was withdrawn from the live GOV.UK site on 22 August 2024 under the Commission’s two-year archive policy.[2]
Finances (illustrative filed years)
Third Sector reported Achiezer income of £113,145 and spending of £34,302 in the year to 5 April 2016. The Association’s income had been about £1.6 million (2013/14) and about £1.1 million the following year, falling to £76 income and £39,471 spending in the year to 30 September 2016 in the figures then on file.[10]
See also
- Achiezer Association Ltd
- Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator
- Regulator opens next phase of investigation into 105 charities connected to company cashing cheques
- Regulator announces next charities to be investigated as part of inquiry connected to company cashing cheques
- British Jewish or Zionist charities investigated by the Charity Commission, 2005-2023
- British Jewish charities investigated by the Charity Commission
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Charity Commission, ACHIEZER - 234038 Register of Charities (removed), accessed 15 September 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Charity Commission, Charity Inquiry: Achiezer GOV.UK, 19 August 2022 (withdrawn from the live site 22 August 2024; report archived as over two years old).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Charity Commission, New charity investigation: Achiezer Association Ltd and Achiezer GOV.UK, 6 August 2015.
- ↑ Third Sector, Trio of brothers ‘abused their position’ as trustees of poverty charity, regulator finds.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Charity Commission, Regulator removes trustees and charity is wound up after trustee attempted to avoid business rates GOV.UK, 19 August 2022.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 UK Government Web Archive, Achiezer – register entry (25 February 2009), archived snapshot of the Charity Commission register dated 25 February 2009, accessed 14 October 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 UK Government Web Archive, Achiezer – register entry (2 January 2019), archived snapshot of the Charity Commission register dated 2 January 2019, accessed 14 October 2026.
- ↑ UK Government Web Archive, Achiezer – register entry (6 January 2015), archived snapshot of the Charity Commission register dated 6 January 2015, accessed 14 October 2026.
- ↑ Charity Commission, Interim Managers appointed to Achiezer Association Limited and Achiezer GOV.UK, 7 November 2018 (withdrawn 19 August 2022 when the Achiezer inquiry closed).
- ↑ Third Sector, Regulator appoints interim managers to related poverty charities, 7 November 2018.