The UCCF Trust Board (Trustees) has become aware that many people with interest in the mission and ministry of UCCF may not have seen official statements made by the Trustees since the end of 2022. This press statement summarises their statements, and a link to the full document can be found at the end.
On 20 December 2022, the Trustees received a letter from a firm of solicitors representing individuals alleging multiple breaches of employment law by the charity, and misconduct on the part of some employees. These individuals required anonymity as a condition of participating in any investigation into the concerns they raised, which the UCCF Trustees have sought to honour throughout.
In a statement on 30 December 2022, the Trustees explained that they took these allegations very seriously, sought to commission an independent investigation into all the allegations made, and suspended two senior employees (Richard Cunningham National Director, and Tim Rudge, Field Director) as a neutral act to ensure the complete integrity and transparency of the investigation.
This investigation was subsequently undertaken by Hilary Winstone of Old Square Chambers, an experienced barrister with expertise in employment law, and who had no personal connection with UCCF, its employees or Trustees. She was given freedom to undertake the investigation in whatever way she deemed necessary to address the allegations raised, including an examination of the legality of UCCF’s employment practices. The Trustees stated: 'for the avoidance of doubt the allegations do not relate to matters of sexual misconduct.' Suspension is a normal practice in such circumstances and is not any indication of guilt. It is an important and biblical principle not to prejudge the outcome of any process.
On 12 January 2023, the Trustees announced that Peter Dray, UCCF’s Director of Creative Evangelism, had been appointed Interim Executive Director of UCCF. On 5 May 2023, the Trustees further announced that the process was taking longer than originally anticipated but said: 'all those involved are looking to be as swift as possible, while being thorough and impartial and complying with all appropriate legal checks and balances.'
On 4 October, the Trustees announced they had received the investigator’s report, adding that 'this extensive investigation took much longer to complete than had been planned or expected. Over 50 individuals contributed, with both positive and negative personal experiences from their time at UCCF. All of the witnesses who participated were offered strict anonymity by the investigator, which UCCF is committed to honouring.'
The Board shared the findings of the investigation, noting that the 'investigator carefully considered all the allegations made by the complainants, together with other issues raised by participating witnesses. Many of the allegations made in the complainants’ initial letter were not upheld. A number of allegations made about the employment practices and contract procedures in relation to Christian Union Staff Workers (CUSWs) were upheld.'
Explaining the nature of employment within UCCF, which some had raised questions about, they explained, 'It has been the consistent practice over several decades for CUSWs to leave their employment after 3 years, with some staying on for 4 or 5 years. The investigation found a small number of instances where the termination of CUSWs’ contracts had been badly handled and conducted in ways that caused them considerable upset and were potentially unlawful.
'The investigator also found that some staff had, in the past, felt unable to speak out about their concerns.'
The Trustees said the investigator considered claims that UCCF and its staff had discriminated against women in its employment and ministry practices, but that she did not uphold these allegations. Adding, 'She also found significant improvement in recent years in supporting female staff through pregnancy and maternity leave.'
The Trustees said they had acted on all the findings of the investigator, and that they, and the Directors, apologise unreservedly to those employees whose experiences fell short of what they were entitled to expect from UCCF, and for the hurt caused. Adding, 'We recognise that, as Christians, we need to honour our calling to work at the highest standard, and were committed to ensuring that our policies and practices are lawful, fairly applied to all staff, and to fostering a Christ-like culture in which staff are not only valued but know they are valued, and where they can have the confidence to openly share any concerns they may have.'
Since March 2021, UCCF had already been working with external professional support to ensure that all our staff contracts and HR processes were fair and legally compliant. The Trustees said the charity was committed to implementing the investigator’s four specific recommendations in full. They were:
Following the conclusion of the investigation and in line with their findings, the Trustees announced that the suspensions of the two members of staff had now been lifted, and that they would make a phased return to active duties as soon as possible.
The Trustees added that they were committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure that issues identified by the investigation, and internal processes, were comprehensively addressed, past shortcomings were not repeated, and they expressed gratitude to 'everyone who has participated in this investigation, and in particular to the individuals who raised their concerns. We recognise that this process has been stressful and demanding for many.'
Concluding their response to the investigation, the Trustees stated that they had not asked anyone involved in this process to sign up to any non-disclosure agreement. Further, fully recognising the implications that they would not be able to respond to press and other enquiries, the Trustees added, 'on the part of UCCF, the commitments we have made to those involved, as well as our common law obligations regarding privacy and confidentiality, means that it would not be appropriate for us to give any further details beyond this statement.'
On October 10, UCCF announced with great regret the resignation of Chris Willmott, chair of Trustees, adding, 'this brings the total number of recent trustee resignations to six. Those who have resigned have done so for a wide range of reasons, including some entirely unconnected with the recent statement, others directly related, and still others only indirectly related. None of the trustees who have resigned are in any way implicated in wrongdoing.
'None of the trustees, whether past or present, reject the report and recommendations of the independent investigator.'
They confirmed the Trust Board was quorate and functioning, and that new trustees to strengthen the Board, at the earliest opportunity, were actively being sought.
On 26 October, Interim Chair of Trustees, Simon Day announced that Richard Cunningham had begun a phased return to his role, and that Tim Rudge would start a phased return in the coming weeks. The Trustees announced they were actively recruiting new Trustees and had engaged a law firm to conduct a review of its governance structures.
On 1 February 2024, whilst Christian Unions across Great Britain hosted CU event weeks and CU students invited friends to hear and respond to the life-changing news of Jesus Christ, the Trustees issued their latest update.
Mary Comont had been appointed as UCCF’s ‘Director of People’ as part of the charity’s commitment to excellence in our future employment practices. The Trustees said Mrs Comont brought a wealth of experience and expertise and has a proven track record in human resources and organisational development. She has a passion for strengthening people practices and supporting employee wellbeing. The Trustees said, 'Mary will play a pivotal role in shaping our people strategy, fostering a culture of collaboration, and ensuring that our workforce remains the driving force behind our ministry.' Mary will start in mid-March.
New trustees were also announced, Gareth Burns and Mark Childs had joined the Board. Mr Burns has governance experience as vice-chair of the major UK charity, Stewardship, as well as the breadth and density of his corporate experience. Mr Childs is a former Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, with enormous experience in senior HR roles and consultancy – which would further complement Mrs Comont’s experience. The Trustees said they were actively seeking new and additional trustees, especially those with extensive student ministry experience.
Concluding the update, Simon Day, on behalf the UCCF Trust Board, said, 'Having commissioned a governance review from an independent legal firm, we are also focusing on strengthening our governance structures and processes. The report is being considered by the Trust Board and we will be working to implement necessary changes from early spring.
'As a Trust Board we are very thankful for our partnership in the gospel with all those who work and serve with UCCF to train, support and equip CU students, particularly in this busy term. We are also thankful for UCCF’s many supporters and donors and ask for your ongoing prayers for the work of UCCF, that the Lord would bring many students to Himself through Christian Union events weeks and beyond.'
The full text of the UCCF Trustees’ Statements of 20 December 2022, 12 & 20 January, 5 May, 24 August, 4, 10 & 26 October 2023, and 1 February 2024, can be found here.
ENDS
Editor’s Notes:
In continuity with the Confidentiality mentioned above towards current and past UCCF employees, and those who came forward as part of this Investigation process, whilst others may well comment on past events, UCCF Trustees and their employees will not be giving interviews or commenting further in relation to this Statement.
13 February 2024
Can we set cookies? We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We’d also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. More about cookies.
By clicking the Accept button below you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.