Pennywell Youth Project in Sunderland closes and is under police investigation over 'financial concerns'

The Pennywell Youth Project was a charity initiative which was established to support vulnerable and disadvantage youngsters in the city and in particular in the Pennywell area.

However, after an allegation of irregularities was brought to the attention of the Echo, Northumbria Police have confirmed an investigation has now been launched.

A police spokesperson said: “We can confirm there is an ongoing investigation after concerns of a financial nature were raised in connection with Pennywell Youth Project. Enquiries are ongoing.”

The Charity Commission, the Government’s regulator of charities, has also confirmed the project is under police investigation.

A spokesperson said: “We have an open case into Pennywell Youth Project to assess concerns raised with us. We cannot comment further while the police investigation and our case are ongoing.”

Sunderland City Council have confirmed the project has ceased operation.

A Council statement said: “After a decision was made by Pennywell Youth Project to cease its work, the Sunderland All Together Youth Consortium has begun delivering activities and outreach services for young people at Pennywell Community Centre in the St Anne’s Ward.”

Speaking to the Echo, a former youth worker in the city expressed their concerns.

They said: “If these allegations are found to be true then I will be very angry. These projects are funded by money from organisatons such as Children in Need and the National Lottery and this is meant to be helping disadvantaged kids in the area.

"Any financial concerns which may arise could also make people think twice about donating to charities in general.”

With the closure of Pennywell Youth Project, the Sunderland All Together Consortium of youth projects said it was continuing to provide access to services for youngsters.

A statement from the Consortium said: “After the decision was made by Pennywell Youth Project to cease work, the Sunderland All Together Consortium has begun delivering both centre based and outreach youth services for the young people in the area.

"A strength of the consortium is that we had the capacity to deal quickly and efficiently with the closure of Pennywell Youth Project meaning that young people have still had access to youth work services.”

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Based on Petersfield Road, the project provided youngsters with a range of activities, including workshops at the centre’s music studio and a Breakout programme providing fun activities such as a climbing wall, craft sessions and football tournaments during the school holidays.

The project also operated a Big Lottery funded Veggie Park Programme in which youngsters got the opportunity to grow their own fruit and veg as well as making honey from two bee hives.

Youngsters also had the chance to enrol on a number of education courses as part of the project’s Connect Programme.

The work of the Pennywell Youth Project has featured in the Echo a number of times, including when youngsters helped to clear 32 bags of rubbish from the area around the Sunderland Fans Museum.