YWAM Durham
Care: At least some of the information about this charity is no longer current. Use the ‘Search charity names’ box to see if there is a later review. If the latest review has a message like this, you are welcome to make your case for an updated review via email to ted@businessbythebook.com.au.
The recent story about something that appears to be endemic at YWAM ‘bases’ prompted us to look at how much YWAM had going on in Australia.
YWAM Durham Ltd (YWAM Durham) is one of the twenty-seven charities they have registered in Australia that come up in a search of the register of charities for ‘YWAM’ or ‘Youth With a Mission’[1].
This is a review of that charity.
Who are YWAM Durham?
YWAM Durham has no website of its own. It’s address and emails on the Register suggest that it is part of another YWAM, YWAM Medical Ships – Australia Ltd (Ships)[2]. Three of its seven directors are also directors of Ships. Including the Managing Director of Ships, Ken Mulligan[3].
Or perhaps it is controlled by YWAM Surrey Hills Ltd? YWAM Durham’s address is the same as the address given for YWAM Surrey Hills, and three of the latter’s directors are on the YWAM Durham board.
What does YWAM Durham do?
The only official information we have is what they have put on the Register:
- Its ‘Summary of activities’:
That’s almost identical to the same section on YWAM City Ventures Ltd’s Register entry. (That’s another charity that appears to be controlled by Ships, one of nine with Ken Mulligan on the board.)
So, like YWAM City Ventures Ltd, another YWAM in Townsville, they get young people ready to serve in Australia and PNG.
- It operates only in Victoria.
- It’s ‘Main beneficiary’ (AIS 2019) is ‘Other charities’.
Is it anything to do with these YWAMers, the Durhams?
What do they spend their money on?
Their first year was 2019. They are a ‘Small’ charity, so no Financial Report 2019 is required.
Their AIS 2019 shows a loss of $1,896, and negative equity $50 less. The figures don’t make sense.
The directors are
John Brokenshire
Nicholas Matthews
Stephen Aherne
Most, if not all, these people are staff members of YWAM. This lack of accountability is typical for YWAMs, documented by us in reviews, and recently by Ministry Watch.
YWAM Durham’s response
We sent them a draft of this review. We got this response from ‘YWAM Medical & Training Ship – Campus’:
We have received the copy of your draft review and have passed it on to our auditors, who are currently in the process of reviewing. Upon the completion of that review in due course, we will consider any issues raised and make relevant changes if appropriate.
Reviewer’s response
There was no audit mentioned in the review. And YWAM Durham had not made any financial report public, so there was no comment on any report that might have been audited.
- Two more YWAM registered charities were discovered while doing this review. Plus one charity not registered as one. ↑
- An Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Member. You can see the latest review of that charity here. ↑
- Ken Mulligan, is a director of eight other YWAM charities. That’s nearly one third of all YWAM registered charities. ↑
No. of boards Ywam Townsville Assoc. Inc. Ywam Medical Ships – Australia Ltd YWAM City Ventures Ltd City Ventures Ltd YWAM DURHAM LTD YWAM PNG Ship Limited Townsville Christian Broadcasters Inc YWAM SURREY HILLS LTD Youth With A Mission Melb Inc Anna Scott 3 X X X Matthew Scott 1 X Hannah Peart 1 X Jared Hoover 8 X X X X X X X X Rebekah Hoover 8 X X X X X X X X Jennifer Rentsch 5 X X X X X Jeremy Schierer 1 X Jeremy Humphreys 1 X Ragnhild Elea Humphreys 1 X Philip Rentsch 4 X X X X John Brokenshire 2 X X Kenneth Mulligan 9 X X X X X X X X X Robyn Mulligan 3 X X X Rabbie Langanai Namaliu 1 X Melissa Kauk 1 X Nathan Randell 1 X Nicholas Matthews 1 X Stephen Aherne 2 X X Thomas Hallas 2 X X Megumi Watts 3 X X X Fay Collins 1 X Olivia Lula 1 X 60 Number of directors 60 11 8 4 4 7 5 5 7 9