Overview

• The Charity Commission appointed high-powered legal experts on August 2 to take over key decision-making at the Aspinall Foundation.
• Interim managers have been instructed to audit the make-up of the board of trustees and examine whether any trustees or their family members received direct or indirect benefits.
• Fresh concerns identified in late 2024 prompted this escalation of a statutory inquiry that began in 2021.
• Allegations under review include below-market rent for chair Damian Aspinall’s occupancy of Howletts House, £150,000 paid to his wife for interior design, and loans leaving him over £113,000 in debt to the charity.
• The Aspinall Foundation, known for rewilding endangered species through its sister trust in Kent, said it will cooperate transparently with the ongoing investigation.