Sandwell Consortium, the Funding Fog & the Art of Not Replying

If transparency were an Olympic sport, Sandwell’s voluntary-sector funding ecosystem would be the one event nobody ever turns up to explain.

Over recent months, a growing number of reasonable, evidence-based questions have been asked about Sandwell Consortium CIC — its governance, its funding, its role as an intermediary, and its position at the centre of Sandwell’s voluntary and community sector.

What followed was… silence.

Not the dignified silence of careful consideration.
More the radio-off, lights-out, hope-they-go-away variety.

A Quick Recap for Those Who’ve Lost the Plot

Sandwell Consortium CIC sits above delivery level. It isn’t just another community group running sessions and services. It’s an infrastructure and coordinating body, positioned as a hub between Sandwell Council and a network of voluntary organisations.

Between 2022 and 2024, it received around £1.66 million in public funding.

That alone should trigger:

• clear governance
• clear accountability
• clear performance reporting

Instead, what we see is:

• generic funding descriptions
• no publicly available KPIs
• no published outcomes
• and a governance structure featuring one individual director alongside corporate directors

Which is… unusual, to put it politely.

The Wider Ecosystem (or “Same Names, Different Meetings”)

Sandwell Consortium doesn’t exist in isolation. It sits within a tight ecosystem that includes delivery organisations such as BWA, CBO, and others who repeatedly appear across:

• funding discussions
• partnership boards
• consultation exercises
• community engagement spaces

That doesn’t mean wrongdoing.
But it does mean concentration of influence — and concentration always deserves scrutiny.

Particularly when:

• some organisations hold significant reserves
• others operate as intermediaries
• councillors and public office holders appear across the same landscape

At that point, asking questions isn’t “being difficult”.
It’s doing the bare minimum.

So We Asked. And Asked Again.

In December 2025, a detailed written request was sent to Sandwell Consortium CIC.
It asked for clarification — not accusations — on matters including:

• funding routes
• intermediary activity
• governance safeguards
• financial resilience
• and accountability mechanisms

No response.

In January 2026, the matter was escalated politely but firmly.
Still no response.
Not even an acknowledgement.

At which point, the options narrow considerably.

When Engagement Fails, Escalation Follows

This is the bit some people don’t like, but it’s how accountability works.

When:

• public money is involved
• reasonable questions are asked
• engagement is attempted
• and silence is the only reply

…then escalation is not optional. It’s inevitable.

Accordingly:

• matters have now been referred to relevant regulatory and authority bodies
• a formal record of engagement (and non-engagement) exists
• and FOI requests are outstanding to obtain further clarity on commissioning, oversight and monitoring arrangements

This wasn’t rushed.
It wasn’t done lightly.
And it certainly wasn’t done for fun.

What This Is — and What It Isn’t

Let’s be absolutely clear.

This is:

• about governance
• about transparency
• about accountability
• about confidence in public systems

It is not:

• an allegation of fraud
• an accusation of illegality
• a personal attack
• or a political stunt

If anything, it’s the dull, grown-up work that should be happening inside the system already.

The Uncomfortable Bit

The most uncomfortable part of all this isn’t the questions.
It’s how hard it seems to be to get answers.

Because when organisations receiving significant public funding won’t explain:

• how decisions are made
• how risks are managed
• how accountability works

…people will inevitably ask who benefits from the fog.

And once that question is in the air, silence is not your friend.

What Happens Next

For now, everything is documented, parked, and properly recorded.

We await:

• FOI responses
• regulatory consideration
• and any belated engagement that may yet appear

If and when new information emerges, it will be assessed, added, and published in the same way this has been handled so far: carefully, factually, and in the public interest.

Transparency is always easier before people start asking questions.

But once they are — ignoring them rarely ends well.

#Sandwell #SandwellConsortium #PublicMoney #Governance #Transparency #Accountability #VoluntarySector #CommunityFunding #Scrutiny #FOI #Regulation

Legal Note & Disclaimer

This article is based entirely on publicly available information, correspondence records, and regulatory guidance.
No allegations of wrongdoing are made.
All commentary represents opinion and analysis in the public interest.
Matters referenced have been escalated to appropriate bodies following non-response to reasonable engagement attempts.