The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) has recently concluded its compliance case into Sentebale — a high-profile English charity co-founded by Prince Harry — which serves as a timely reminder for all charities on the importance of robust governance, clear internal policies, and the need for trustees to act in the best interests of their charity, especially during times of internal conflict.
Background
Sentebale was established in 2006 to support children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. However, in early 2025, the charity became embroiled in internal disputes involving trustees and patrons, prompting whistleblowing complaints.
These concerns triggered a formal compliance case, where CCEW found that the charity had suffered from a lack of clarity regarding role descriptions, poor delegation practices, and inadequate internal complaints procedures.
These governance failures culminated in public disputes (including televised interviews and statements), trustee resignations, and reputational damage.
Response and Reforms
In response to CCEW’s enquiry and Regulatory Action Plan, Sentebale undertook a comprehensive governance overhaul. This included the restructuring of its board, relocating its senior executive leadership to Southern Africa, implementing a cost-management programme that reduced its annual cost base by 25% and implementing a detailed action plan, including adopting a raft of internal policies and procedures — all without reducing service delivery.
Lessons to be Learned
Although this was a CCEW enquiry, the governance principles highlighted by CCEW offer several lessons for all charities, including those in Scotland:
1. Clarity in Governance Structures
Charities should ensure that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) expects trustees to understand their duties and to act collectively in a charity’s best interests.
Ambiguity in delegation can lead to mismanagement and conflict. Here, CCEW highlighted that certain delegations were confusing, convoluted, and poorly governed, which fostered internal misunderstandings.
2. Robust Internal Policies and Procedures
Charities should maintain, amongst other things, written policies for complaints (covering not only employees but trustees as well), whistleblowing, and safeguarding. These policies should be accessible, regularly reviewed, and aligned with OSCR’s guidance in order to protect staff, beneficiaries, and trustees.
3. Trustee Conduct and Confidentiality
CCEW criticised Sentebale’s trustees for allowing disputes to play out publicly. Trustees are expected to maintain confidentiality and professionalism, even during disagreements. Public airing of internal conflicts can readily damage a charity’s reputation and erode stakeholder trust, in turn jeopardising a charity’s ability to deliver its activities in support of its beneficaries.
4. Strategic Resilience
It was noted that Sentebale’s ability to restructure and maintain service delivery during a governance crisis was commendable.
Charities should build resilience into their strategic planning, including contingency plans for leadership changes, funding challenges, and reputational risks.
5. Regulatory Engagement and Transparency
Sentebale’s constructive cooperation with CCEW was acknowledged.
When a charity engages with its regulator, it should do so openly and transparently and demonstrate a commitment to improving and resolving the situation.
Conclusion
The Sentebale enquiry underlines that governance is not merely a compliance obligation but is central to a charity’s credibility, sustainability, and impact. Trustees should always prioritise their charity’s mission above personal interests and ensure that governance arrangements are fit for purpose.
Charities should use the enquiry to reflect on their own practices. Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined? Are internal complaints handled effectively? Do trustees act in the charity’s best interests, even during conflict?
By learning from Sentebale’s experience, charities in Scotland can strengthen their governance, protect their reputations, and ensure they continue to deliver vital services to those who need them most.
Published 13 August 2025
