Helen Blundell, who is associate director, charities and not for profit, at MHA Bloomer Heaven, took over the management and administration of the charity from the trustees on 15 September as ‘a temporary and protective measure’, according to the Charity Commission.

Blundell’s duties will include compiling and submitting the overdue accounts, reports and returns, and she will also be required to report to the Charity Commission on any additional regulatory issues identified.

In June 2013, the regulator opened a statutory inquiry into the Viva Palestina to investigate what it described as ‘serious concerns’ relating to financial management, including a failure by the current and/or former trustees to account for charity funds since the inception of the charity in 2009.

The Commission took legal action to compel both former and current trustees to provide information to ensure that the charity complied with its legal duty to submit the outstanding accounts and annual returns. This resulted in two separate appeals being lodged with the First Tier Tribunal, the nature of which delayed the progress of the inquiry. The appeals were subsequently withdrawn by the appellants, the last one being on 3 October 2014.

Viva Palestina’s stated objectives as a charity include providing medicine and essential goods and services to the civilian population and highlighting the causes and results of wars with a view to achieving peace.