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The Charity Commission has appointed interim managers to run a Wirral-based community transport charity while it investigates concerns about its governance and finances.
Merseycare Transport Services Ltd, now known as Merseycare Community Transport Ltd (registered charity 1133408), provides accessible transport for older, disabled and socially disadvantaged people in Merseyside.
The regulator opened a statutory inquiry into the charity in June of this year.
It is looking at allegations that the charity:
- has too few trustees, in breach of its governing document.
- has not complied with statutory accounting requirements.
- has spending that does not seem to match its charitable objects.
Gareth Harris and James Dowers, of the firm RSM, have now been appointed as interim managers, to the exclusion of the charity's trustees. The appointment took effect on 12 October.
The Commission said they will:
- protect the charity's assets and review its finances and financial controls.
- examine its governance and how it operates, and decide whether changes are needed to protect the charity and the people it helps.
- consider the charity's longer-term future and report regularly to the Commission.
The order stays in place until the Commission changes or ends it. The inquiry is continuing.
According to the charity's latest accounts, reported by Third Sector, it had an income of £1.9m and spent almost £2m in the year to 31 March 2025.
The Commission stressed that the charity has no connection with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which is a separate NHS organisation, which is something to bare in mind.
Accessible transport has been a talking point on Wirral recently, with a councillor calling for fold-down seats on the new Metro buses.
The Commission will publish a report once its inquiry ends.
