It is now August (four months since the so-called DRCCT meeting held in Windsor) and nine Datchet Parish Councillors are still seeking to take control of the Datchet Recreation Centre Charity Trust and its assets. Below is the text of a letter from Jack Rankin MP to the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission. A copy of the letter can be found here
David Holdsworth
Chief Executive
Charity Commission
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
England
Our Ref: JR06309
Dear Mr Holdsworth,
6 August 2025
I am writing on behalf of a constituent, Councillor Monica Davies, regarding a dispute over a Sole Trust that has been active in Datchet since 1967.
For your reference, the charity in question is the Datchet Recreational Centre Charitable Trust. The address is Datchet Hall 3 Allen Way Datchet, and the Charity Number is 252303.
As I understand it, in April this year, following a series of events which my constituent will have raised with you, the registered Trustees listed on the website were changed and the
Charity Commission link withheld from my constituent, with no notification given to the previous Trustees. I understand this was an abrupt change with little consideration for the
complexities of the case. There also seems to have been a lack of due attention given to the associated paperwork held by Commission, regarding the history of the charity which is the
source of the dispute. My constituent also reports many challenges when dealing with the Charity Commission via email and phone, often having to chase up emails and never being able to speak to the same member of staff twice.
I believe that the Commission recommended legal action which my constituent is now pursuing. However, I feel that the Charity Commission, as regulator, could have acted in a
way that would have prevented this recourse which will cost time, money and stress for those involved. From what my constituent has recounted it seems that the Commission fell short of its stated aims “To be the expert Charity Commission that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive”. I would be grateful if you could provide the Commission’s assessment of this particular case and set out what steps you will be taking to improve your organisations operational method for the future. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely
Jack Rankin MP
These are the nine DPC members that voted for this action –
Chairman David Buckley,
Lead for Properties – Darren Sanders,
Lead for Cemetery – Caroline Wise,
Lead for Events – Andrew Clemins,
Cllr Glover,
Cllr Young,
Cllr Bacon,
Cllr Loveridge
and Cllr Whelan
For further information contact – Steevan Glover Mob 07900218624 / Steevanglover@gmail.com
For additional comment contact David Buckley DPC chairman cllr.dbuckley@datchetparishcouncil.gov.uk
Ian Bacon New Interim DRCCT Chairman – ian.drcct@gmail.com
Below is a statement from Datchet Parish Council
Statement from Datchet Parish Council regarding the unofficial DRCCT website
Please be advised that the website www.drcct.org is not an official site of the Datchet Recreation Centre Charitable Trust (DRCCT). It was created without the approval or consultation with the new interim DRCCT Management Committee or Datchet Parish Council (DPC). The DPC is the sole legal and managing trustee of the DRCCT, as listed by the Charity Commission, and is legally responsible for the charity’s management and assets. As the DPC or the official committee does not authorise the website, its content should not be considered impartial or necessarily factual. For official information about DRCCT, please contact the DPC Clerk.
Update on new DRCCT Management Committee
The DPC, as the sole managing trustee, dissolved the previous DRCCT Committee following serious governance issues, including an upheld complaint of bullying and harassment of DPC staff. Former committee members are refusing to cooperate and thus are blocking the smooth transition of the operation of the Village Hall complex. The DPC urges the former committee to cooperate to ensure a full and proper handover. If this continues, the DPC will implement its legal options. The DPC seeks to avoid unnecessary legal action, which would be detrimental to the charity and the community.
The source of the above statement can be found here
In fact the web site www.drcct.org was created by and is the property of the the DRCCT trustees appointed in 2019.
Further information can be found by following the links below:
Datchet Parish Councillors continue in their attempt to hijack a local charity. – DHWNEWS
DPC and DRCCT – progress report – DHWNEWS
Nine Datchet Parish Councillors named in failed attempt to hijack local Charity assets.