Public cash for Hartlepool ‘charity’ sparks fresh questions after previous director payouts...
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How Can This Be Justified? Charity Paid Directors £52k Now Set for Public Funding Boost
8th April 2026
A Hartlepool 'charity' which was previously criticised for paying tens of thousands of pounds to its own directors is now set to benefit from a share of £200,000 pounds worth of public funding—raising renewed concerns over how taxpayer money is being distributed.
The organisation at the centre of the controversy, Big League CIC, is expected to receive funding for improvements to the Salaam Centre located in Hartlepool's Murray Street, including CCTV installation and boiler upgrades. The centre plays a role as a community hub, offering services ranging from training facilities to low-cost food provision.
However, the latest funding allocation comes less than a year after The Teesside & Durham Post revealed the same organisation had paid out more than £50,000 to its directors in the form of dividends—despite claims at the time that it was facing a “funding crisis”.
From “funding crisis” to public funding boost
The previous report highlighted how over £54,000 pounds had been distributed to directors, prompting criticism from readers and raising questions about governance and financial priorities within a body operating under a community interest model.
Now, with public money set to be injected into projects managed by the same organisation, critics are asking whether sufficient scrutiny has been applied before the funding was awarded.
At the heart of the concern is a said to be the question as to how an organisation claiming financial hardship could pay out significant sums to its directors—and then go on to receive public funds?
The latest funding which is being grandstanded by the Labour MP for Hartlepool Jonathan Brash is said to be earmarked for infrastructure improvements at the Salaam Centre, including:
Installation of CCTV systems
Boiler upgrades to improve heating and efficiency
Supporters may argue that such improvements are necessary for maintaining vital community services, with the Salaam Centre described as a multi-use facility supporting education, social initiatives and community cohesion in Hartlepool.
But some claim the issue is not the project itself—but who's receiving the money.
Accountability questions resurface
Community Interest Companies (CICs) are designed to operate for public benefit, but unlike traditional charities, they can pay directors under certain conditions. That distinction however is now back in the spotlight, with the latest development fuelling a growing perception among Hartlepool residents that there is one set of rules for ordinary people—and another for publicly funded organisations with close affiliations with the local council, with the controversy likely to intensify calls for greater transparency around funding decisions involving CICs and similar organisations.
