Marvels and Meltdowns trustee resigns amid secrecy over Gosport charity’s future

Marvels and Meltdowns, a nursery and support network for children with ADHD, autism and SPD, says it found irregularities in its accounts last week.

It comes as Gosport Borough Council met last night to discuss the terms of letting a former children's nursery in Phoenix Way to the charity.

At the council meeting, members of the press and public were excluded while councillors discussed the motion.

Councillor Stephen Philpott cited sensitive financial information as the reason for the exclusion.

Posting a statement on the Marvels and Meltdowns website, charity founder Shandrika Day said: ‘It is with great sadness that, as trustees of Marvels and Meltdowns charity, we have discovered some discrepancies and irregularities within the charity accounts in the last week.

‘This has led to an immediate investigation – the former treasurer of the charity will no longer work with the charity in any capacity.

‘As an organisation with close ties to the community we are devastated that this has happened and want to assure everyone that has helped us, supported us, and made donations to or charity we will do everything in our power to ensure that the charity is not impacted financially by this discovery.

As previously reported, the charity is moving out of its current site at St Vincent College in Mill Lane on March 31, after failing to get funding to pay the annual rent of £26,500 for the site – where they have been for two and a half years.

Following the meeting, Cllr Philpott told The News that a unanimous decision had been reached by councillors, but refused to say what the outcome was.

Other councillors present at the meeting also declined to comment.

Tricia Lyons said she is no longer affiliated with the charity. Shandrika Day was unavailable for further comment.

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