Royal Albert Hall denies Charity Commission caution over ticket re-sales
The Royal Albert Hall has denied claims that it has been “cautioned” by the Charity Commission for allowing members to sell on their seats at a profit.
According to guidance published by the commission, members of a charity must not excessively profit from that charity’s work.
But an investigation published today in The Times found that some RAH members had made thousands of pounds by selling on tickets at inflated prices, and said that the Charity Commission had warned the London venue over this issue.
Speaking to The Stage, a spokesperson for the Albert Hall acknowledged that the charity had been in contact with the commission, but denied that it had been warned or cautioned.
The spokesperson said: “There is no question of the Charity Commission ‘warning’ the hall. It is the case that the extent of members’ private benefits is being discussed in on-going exchanges with the commission.”
The issue was brought to the attention of the Charity Commission by trustees of the Albert Hall in 2009. Individuals and businesses hold more than 1,200 seats in the Albert Hall on 999-year leases, and a legal loophole allows these seats to be sold at a profit.
The Charity Commission’s guidance document, Charities and Public Benefit, states that a charity must not allow its members to enjoy private benefits that are more than incidental to its public function. However, one member of the Albert Hall was found to have offered his box at the Last Night of the Proms for up to £19,995 online, while others had sold seats for Cirque du Soleil at double their face value.
A spokesperson for the commission said that although it was satisfied with plans drawn up by the Albert Hall to solve the issue, it believed that some members of the charity had been “benefiting privately in a way that was more than incidental”.
But the commission stopped short of confirming that it had cautioned the London venue.
It said: “The way we would describe it is that we provided the trustees with guidance and advice.
“We’re satisfied with the direction travelled and where the charity is going, but we continue to monitor its progress to make sure that we continue to be happy that the charity is providing sufficient public benefit.”
"The hall's trustees are working with the commission to continue to maximise public benefit."
A spokeswoman for the commission said there was a framework which determined whether there was a need to open an investigation or statutory inquiry and it was not deemed necessary.
She said two issues were being looked at - the number of events that members are effectively excluded from completely and the rate at which members can sell their tickets back to the Royal Albert Hall in the future.
The Royal Albert Hall has denied claims that it has been “cautioned” by the Charity Commission for allowing members to sell on their seats at a profit.
According to guidance published by the commission, members of a charity must not excessively profit from that charity’s work.
But an investigation published today in The Times found that some RAH members had made thousands of pounds by selling on tickets at inflated prices, and said that the Charity Commission had warned the London venue over this issue.
Speaking to The Stage, a spokesperson for the Albert Hall acknowledged that the charity had been in contact with the commission, but denied that it had been warned or cautioned.
The spokesperson said: “There is no question of the Charity Commission ‘warning’ the hall. It is the case that the extent of members’ private benefits is being discussed in on-going exchanges with the commission.”
The issue was brought to the attention of the Charity Commission by trustees of the Albert Hall in 2009. Individuals and businesses hold more than 1,200 seats in the Albert Hall on 999-year leases, and a legal loophole allows these seats to be sold at a profit.
The Charity Commission’s guidance document, Charities and Public Benefit, states that a charity must not allow its members to enjoy private benefits that are more than incidental to its public function. However, one member of the Albert Hall was found to have offered his box at the Last Night of the Proms for up to £19,995 online, while others had sold seats for Cirque du Soleil at double their face value.
A spokesperson for the commission said that although it was satisfied with plans drawn up by the Albert Hall to solve the issue, it believed that some members of the charity had been “benefiting privately in a way that was more than incidental”.
But the commission stopped short of confirming that it had cautioned the London venue.
It said: “The way we would describe it is that we provided the trustees with guidance and advice.
“We’re satisfied with the direction travelled and where the charity is going, but we continue to monitor its progress to make sure that we continue to be happy that the charity is providing sufficient public benefit.”
A spokeswoman for the commission said there was a framework which determined whether there was a need to open an investigation or statutory inquiry and it was not deemed necessary.
She said two issues were being looked at - the number of events that members are effectively excluded from completely and the rate at which members can sell their tickets back to the Royal Albert Hall in the future.
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