蜜芽传媒

There鈥檚 a charity that you鈥檝e probably never heard of that has more than 拢480 million in the bank, but has never spent a penny on good causes. It鈥檚 called the National Fund and it was set up in 1928 to pay off the UK鈥檚 national debt. The terms of the fund state that it has to pay the whole debt off, not part of it. The national debt currently stands at almost 拢1.8 trillion, that鈥檚 nearly 4000 times more than there is in this charity fund. The trustees want to close the fund, and say they would like to distribute the 拢480 million that they鈥檙e holding. The trustees approached the Charity Commission for permission to do that nine years ago, but they鈥檙e still waiting. David Ainsworth, the Editor of Civil Society Magazine has been following this story, talks to Winifred Robinson.

First broadcast on You & Yours, 23 April 2018.