Friday brief: Charity Commission investigation widens to Northampton gallery
We have an exclusive about the charity regulator’s investigation into concerns about Shoosmith Gallery, plus a round up some news from the past week
An investigation by the charity regulator into financial mismanagement of a Northamptonshire care home has moved on to a Northampton gallery.
The Charity Commission recently removed trustees from the William Blake House charity earlier this month as part of a statutory inquiry into serious financial and governance concerns.
The charity, which cares for disabled young people at four residential homes in the Towcester area, currently owes £1.6m in unpaid tax and in recent years has sold off much of its assets.
Management consultant Bushra Hamid, who was chair of the trustees at William Blake House, has been paid several hundreds of thousands of pounds in consultancy fees by the charity.
He is also chair of trustees at Shoosmith Gallery, based at Delapre Abbey and today the Charity Commission told NN Journal:
“We are proactively assessing potential concerns about Shoosmith Gallery due its links to another charity that is under inquiry. Our assessment will determine what regulatory role there is, if any, for the Commission.”
The Shoosmith Gallery showcases the works of celebrated siblings Thurston Laidlaw Shoosmith, Fanny Violet Shoosmith, and William Buxton Shoosmith, who lived in Northampton and painted in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century.
Thurston was a solicitor who founded a law firm, which grew from its Northampton origins and is today the nationally recognised company Shoosmiths.
Paula Allen, who is chief executive of the gallery, is also a trustee.
NN Journal visited the gallery yesterday and attempted to ask Paula Allen some questions but she said she would rather not comment ‘but would love to speak at the right time’.
In recent weeks two trustees have departed the gallery’s board. Dawn Wright, who has spent many years working in Northampton’s charitable sector, has quit along with Thomas Fromant. When NN Journal called Thomas Fromant, he did not want to speak, neither did current trustee Nick Gordon, who is also director of West Northamptonshire Council’s Northampton Museum and Art Gallery in Derngate.
We spoke with Bushra Hamid last month and he said the wider board had taken the decision to appoint Paula as chief executive.
He said Shoosmith Gallery is a passion project for him. Hamid, who says he went to school in Northants and has lived in the county for many years, has a string of other companies to his name, including one named after famous shoemaker Thomas Gotch and another named after shoe firm Mobbs Miller.
According to accounts lodged with Companies House the gallery receives most of its annual £68,000 income from donations. Paula Allen is paid a salary of £30,000 for her role.
Although he declined to talk about the Charity Commission investigation into William Blake House, Bushra Hamid said:
“I have been in business for 40 years and I guess my skills are derived from a building society background, auditing, commercial and charity sector. I’m really good at helping charities turn around. That is my skillset really: any innovative, marketing or strategy, that is my bag. I don’t know why, but I’m very good at thinking out of the box.”
Northamptonshire Police said last week its economic crime department was reviewing information received regarding William Blake House and this morning released the following statement on its website:
Two people have been arrested following the execution of search warrants at two residential addresses in north London and Warwickshire.
Officers from Northamptonshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit executed the Section 9 PACE warrants at addresses in Golders Green and Leamington Spa on Wednesday, March 25.
A man and a woman, both in their 60s, from London and Warwickshire respectively were arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering offences. They have been released on police bail pending further enquiries.
The warrants were executed following alleged fraudulent activity at a charity while in charge of a Northamptonshire Care Home.
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Other news from the week
Two men who violently attacked a stranger in Kettering town centre have been jailed for more than seven years.
The victim in his 40s received stab wounds to his face and required hospital treatment after Tommy Rowe and Gerald Gribbin attacked him in Horsemarket shortly before 2am on July 17 last year.
After the violent assault they were captured on CCTV checking his pockets.
At their first hearing at Northampton Crown Court on August 29 2025, Rowe, 40, pleaded guilty to Section 18 – GBH, attempted robbery and possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place. Gribbin, 53, of Station Road, Kettering, denied the Section 18 - GBH charge which was ordered to remain on file, but admitted the attempted robbery and possession of a knife blade/sharp pointed article in a public place.
Last Friday, the pair were sentenced at Northampton Crown Court. Gribbin was handed seven years and two months’ imprisonment, while Rowe was jailed for seven years and six months.
Detective Constable Anna Orton of CID North, who led the investigation, said:
“This was an entirely senseless act of violence by two men on a stranger, which could easily have resulted in a murder investigation.
“Such violence will not be tolerated in our towns, and I am pleased the sentences imposed by the court not only reflect the severity and seriousness of the offence committed but also recognise the danger that Tommy Rowe and Gerald Gribbin present to others.”
Rowe, aged 40, of Kingwell Avenue in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £228.
North Northants Council (NNC) has set out new plans to get empty homes back into use.
With around 400 long-term vacant homes in North Northamptonshire, the authority’s new Empty Homes Strategy sets out various options for the council to reduce the blight caused by vacant properties and support community regeneration.
A report will be going to the council’s place environment and scrutiny committee next week to review the strategy before it goes to the executive for formal adoption.
The strategy says:
“Empty homes are a wasted resource in the face of rising housing needs. They have negative impacts and can attract anti-social behaviour, degrade neighbourhoods, cause unauthorised occupation by squatters and in extreme cases arson.
“Clear benefits for local authorities and the local community accrue from the re-use of empty properties. They include the provision of improved quality and choice of housing accommodation for the residents of North Northamptonshire, increased Council Tax revenue and reduced expenditure by eliminating the need to board them up to keep them secure.”
It sets out a number of enforcement powers available to councils, including Enforced Sales which allows a council to sell a property and recover debts, a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) which guarantees that the property is brought back into decent standard and use, and an Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO) which enables the council to take control of an empty property to secure occupation and proper management of the building.
It adds that tougher enforcement would only be considered once the empty homeowner has already been engaged with and no work has taken place to remediate the property.
There is no current formal requirement for local authorities to monitor and report on long-term empty properties or any mandatory requirement to bring them back into use.
NNC said that officers have been dealing with long-term empty properties in a “reactive manner” up until this point, by following up on complaints of anti-social behaviour, or empty properties that pose a risk for people to enter and cause harm.
It says its new strategy will give officers more leverage to encourage empty homeowners to do more in terms of the wider works required to bring a property back into use.
The announcement of the new strategy follows a decision made by the full council to start charging homeowners double council tax from April 2026, when their property has been empty for more than one year.
The full strategy will be taken to the executive in May for final approval.
Report by Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
Anglian Water says storm overflows into freshwaters reduced by 60 per cent last year compared to the previous year.
The region’s water provider, which was fined £62m last September for wastewater failures, says it has removed 340 storm overflows from its network and plans to have the remaining 1,442 out of service by 2050.
It also says it plans to spend £269m this year reducing spills from the sewer network into the region’s waterways.
Lizzie Frost, the company’s head of catchment flow compliance said:
“We know our customers and communities feel strongly that storm overflow discharges are unacceptable, and we agree. Storm overflows have been part of the sewer system for decades, and they were originally designed to protect homes and businesses from internal sewer flooding during heavy rainfall – something they still do today. Our long term goal is to completely stop using storm overflows, but getting there isn’t something we can do overnight”
“We’re investing more than ever before to reduce storm overflow discharges. £1 billion of our £11bn 2025 to 2030 business plan has been earmarked specifically to tackle storm overflows and improve river water quality. The dry weather has helped our performance, but it is not the main reason. While lower rainfall over the summer meant storm overflows were needed less often, performance was still better than previous years when we’ve had similar levels of rainfall. Our teams are working incredibly hard to improve performance and we’re pleased this improved data shows we’re on the right track.”
Concerns have been raised that Deaf people in Northamptonshire will be “pushed further into isolation”, as pleas have been made to a council to allocate more funding to save dwindling services.
Jessica Pettican, a Deaf professional and businesswoman from Northamptonshire, addressed a West Northants full council meeting yesterday raising concerns about the sudden closure of Deafconnect and whether sufficient support had been put in place to fill the gap in services.
The charity used to spend £230,000 a year on services, but after large grants run out, has had no choice but to close and lay off long serving staff.
Northants two itinerary councils have instead decided to grant just £22,000 per year for services for the county’s deaf community.
In her speech Jessica said:
“I know firsthand what it’s like to live in a place where services are not accessible. It’s isolating. Even simple tasks like booking an appointment, seeking advice, or what support is available become a daily challenge if there’s no one who can communicate with me in British Sign Language.
“I have worked with the Deaf community since 2005 as an advice worker, independent advocate, and relay Deaf interpreter. I also manage a Deaf service in London, supporting people in crisis. I have seen how crucial accessible services are.
“Now, the local Deaf organisation that has served this area for 150 years has just closed, with drop-in services cut back three months earlier than planned, out of the blue. It’s people losing lifelines, people being left out, and people being pushed further into isolation.”
She explained that one in six adults in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss, meaning there could be tens of thousands of people in West Northamptonshire who are likely affected by hearing impairment.
Despite original plans to stay open until the end of June, Deafconnect will close on Tuesday (March 31) due to lack of funds. Ms Pettican said her company, Deaf First CIC, would step in to take over the community hub and provide interim support until July, but that this move won’t be sustainable in the long term.
Both North and West Northants Councils announced this week that RJ Community CIC had been awarded the new hearing service contract for the county and will take over services from April 1.
Concerns were previously raised by Labour councillor Sally Keeble that the required level of support under the new service would be substantially reduced from the current offer the county has.
The council’s new contract requires the service to provide an online or remote information and advice service, a social events offer for the Deaf and hard of hearing community, and just one face-to-face drop-in or booked appointment service in West and North Northants each month.
In contrast, the Deafconnect charity has provided a wide range of services, including sign language interpreters, BSL training, advice social support groups for adults and children, and an accessible base at the Spencer Dallington Community Centre in Northampton five days a week.
At the time, North Northants Council, who led on the commissioning of the contract, said that the new hearing impairment service was “intended to fund a targeted information, advice and community support offer, rather than a like‑for‑like replacement” of the Deafconnect model.
Addressing the full council, Ms Pettican continued:
“The funding situation is severe. What was once £250,000 worth of services has been reduced to just £22,000. This leaves almost nothing for the essential services that Deaf people depend on.
“The reality is that without sufficient funding, tens of thousands of people in West Northamptonshire are left without support – and the consequences are clear: increased isolation, declining mental health, and greater pressure on other public services.
“Being deaf shouldn’t mean being excluded, but without proper funding and support that is exactly what happens. These outcomes are not accidental. They are predictable and preventable – with the right investment.
“The law is clear. Under the Equality Act 2010, councils have a duty to make reasonable adjustments so Deaf people can access services. The Public Sector Equality Duty means this must be considered before decisions are made, not afterwards.
“Cutting services does not save money in the long term. It pushes people into crisis, increases demand on mental health services, and deepens inequality. Funding accessible services is not optional – it is about priorities, fairness and responsibility.
“Today, as councillors, you face a choice. You can allocate funds to services that prevent isolation, support wellbeing, and enable Deaf people in West Northamptonshire to fully engage in their communities.
“Equality isn’t just a line in a policy document. It’s something I live everyday.”
She received a standing ovation from the councillors in the gallery at the end of her speech.
While the level of grant funding from the councils has reduced over time, the council has said that the £22k grant funding offered now is the same level as in recent years. Deafconnect was previously able to leverage substantially more funding through external grant income and other donations to maintain its wide offering.
Cllr Laura Couse, WNC’s cabinet member for adult care and public health, said: “Our priority is to ensure residents who are Deaf or hard of hearing continue to have relevant services that are easily accessible, inclusive, and tailored to support their independence and wellbeing.
“We welcome RJ Community CIC as our new partner and look forward to working together to enhance the support available across West Northamptonshire. This partnership provides an opportunity to strengthen how people access information and advice, and to ensure services are designed in a way that removes barriers and promotes greater inclusion.”
Report by Nadia Lincoln