Tigers For Kids Charity
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fiona Mont
I think Fiona Mont is a very gutsy brave lady for coming on this forum and telling us about Adrian Matthews, his past crimes and his criminal record!
He's obviously a coward! What kind of a man let's a woman take all the blame for his actions aswell? A weak one!
We need more people like Fiona coming forward. I bet there are lots of people out there who have had the misfortune of crossing paths with Adrian Matthews!
Thankyou Fiona for enlightening us. I hope you and your family can move on at last and put the past behind you.
He's obviously a coward! What kind of a man let's a woman take all the blame for his actions aswell? A weak one!
We need more people like Fiona coming forward. I bet there are lots of people out there who have had the misfortune of crossing paths with Adrian Matthews!
Thankyou Fiona for enlightening us. I hope you and your family can move on at last and put the past behind you.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Penrith
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well, this thread seems to have gone down hill somewhat, so lets get back to the point.
I am probably one of the few people here who actually know a lot of the facts with regards to how this 'charity' has been run. Unfortunately I wont be able to tell you all I know, as I wouldn't want to jeopardise the Charity Commissions investigation.
However, I can tell you that until earlier this year Tigers For Kids was operating out of Wickenby in Lincolnshire. The engineer at Wickenby was asked if he could do a C of A on the aircraft. When he heard about the 'charity' he was keen to get involved. Mr Matthews told the engineer that there is very little money in the charity bank account. Upon hearing this, the engineer agreed to finance things until the charity was financially stable. This included paying for all maintenance, all fuel, all insurance. In fact... Just about everything. In over a year, all the charity ever paid back was £1500. Well, Mr Matthews is stating that the charity costs £60,000 per year, so as you can imagine, the engineer is out of pocket by a considerable sum of money. This whole business about the investigation started when Adrian left the charity cheque book at Wickenby one day. This is where I cant tell you much more, but I can say that the charity has had thousands of pounds pass through it, and if I were to tell you where that money had gone, you would be horrified. Put it this way, it didn't go to help the sick children that it was supposed to help.
No doubt all this information will be disclosed in due course. Until then, I can say too much more, but believe me the above is all fact. Not heresy, not speculation... FACT
I can also tell you that the engineer at Wickenby also flew a great number of children himself, not only in the Tiger Moth, but also in his Auster when the weather was too cold to fly the tiger.
I am probably one of the few people here who actually know a lot of the facts with regards to how this 'charity' has been run. Unfortunately I wont be able to tell you all I know, as I wouldn't want to jeopardise the Charity Commissions investigation.
However, I can tell you that until earlier this year Tigers For Kids was operating out of Wickenby in Lincolnshire. The engineer at Wickenby was asked if he could do a C of A on the aircraft. When he heard about the 'charity' he was keen to get involved. Mr Matthews told the engineer that there is very little money in the charity bank account. Upon hearing this, the engineer agreed to finance things until the charity was financially stable. This included paying for all maintenance, all fuel, all insurance. In fact... Just about everything. In over a year, all the charity ever paid back was £1500. Well, Mr Matthews is stating that the charity costs £60,000 per year, so as you can imagine, the engineer is out of pocket by a considerable sum of money. This whole business about the investigation started when Adrian left the charity cheque book at Wickenby one day. This is where I cant tell you much more, but I can say that the charity has had thousands of pounds pass through it, and if I were to tell you where that money had gone, you would be horrified. Put it this way, it didn't go to help the sick children that it was supposed to help.
No doubt all this information will be disclosed in due course. Until then, I can say too much more, but believe me the above is all fact. Not heresy, not speculation... FACT
I can also tell you that the engineer at Wickenby also flew a great number of children himself, not only in the Tiger Moth, but also in his Auster when the weather was too cold to fly the tiger.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Enschede, NL
Age: 87
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Having dialled by Wickenby a few times this year when the yellow tiger was buzzing around giving rides for the disabled children, the smiles were a mile wide! Having followed this thread, and knowing the people involved in the Wickenby flights, I had been wondering what, if any, was their connection. It would seem, from recent posts that they were also heavily screwed by our lad Matthews.
Wickenby on a sunny summer afternoon, sitting with a cup of coffee under the tower and watching the aircraft is pleasant enough, but the circling Tiger and the happy excited faces of kids, helpers and onlookers brought back that airport atmosphere that us old farts thought had gone forever.
Let's hope Matthews gets his just deserts, and next time folks, blow the whistle a little earlier!
Wickenby on a sunny summer afternoon, sitting with a cup of coffee under the tower and watching the aircraft is pleasant enough, but the circling Tiger and the happy excited faces of kids, helpers and onlookers brought back that airport atmosphere that us old farts thought had gone forever.
Let's hope Matthews gets his just deserts, and next time folks, blow the whistle a little earlier!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Back in Geordie Land
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just wanted to keep this up where it belongs.
Anyone from the Rochdale Lib Dems care to comment on why Mr Rowen (their MP) is STILL promoting this guy on his web site????? Ands STILL encouraging people to donate money to him!!
DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY MORE MONEY FOLKS
Anyone from the Rochdale Lib Dems care to comment on why Mr Rowen (their MP) is STILL promoting this guy on his web site????? Ands STILL encouraging people to donate money to him!!
DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY MORE MONEY FOLKS
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Back in Geordie Land
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've spent quite a bit of time this morning talking to the CRB office and NACRO regarding CRB checks on individuals and ultimately what they mean.
It is a requiremnent in this country for anyone, even remotely involved, working with children to have a CRB check. The check should be initiated by the 'head' of an organisation on a future employee or person who will be involved with the children. In the case of a charity it would be one of the trustees.
The problem is however, that the results of the CRB check only go back to the person who initiated the check and no one else! there is NO independant check done on the results to see if someone is suitable to work with children.
Now clearly, this is a major loophole in the system, because if you want to 'employ' your 'dodgy' mate to work with children, and you know he has a 'dodgy' past (lets say arson and fraud just for example) then when the CRB check results come back to you, you're not in the least surprised at what they say! and you can go ahead and 'employ' him. You can now say to Joe public is 'oh yes, he's had a CRB check' and that immediately gives credibility to your 'dodgy' mate and presumably his 'organisation'
I am in discussion with the authorities to find out if you can see the results of someones' CRB check under the freedom of information act. Clearly, if you are going to hand over your 'nearest, youngest and dearest' to someone, you would want to know that they are in safe hands wouldn't you?
Any legal people out there care to comment please??
I'll keep you all updated.
The Winco
It is a requiremnent in this country for anyone, even remotely involved, working with children to have a CRB check. The check should be initiated by the 'head' of an organisation on a future employee or person who will be involved with the children. In the case of a charity it would be one of the trustees.
The problem is however, that the results of the CRB check only go back to the person who initiated the check and no one else! there is NO independant check done on the results to see if someone is suitable to work with children.
Now clearly, this is a major loophole in the system, because if you want to 'employ' your 'dodgy' mate to work with children, and you know he has a 'dodgy' past (lets say arson and fraud just for example) then when the CRB check results come back to you, you're not in the least surprised at what they say! and you can go ahead and 'employ' him. You can now say to Joe public is 'oh yes, he's had a CRB check' and that immediately gives credibility to your 'dodgy' mate and presumably his 'organisation'
I am in discussion with the authorities to find out if you can see the results of someones' CRB check under the freedom of information act. Clearly, if you are going to hand over your 'nearest, youngest and dearest' to someone, you would want to know that they are in safe hands wouldn't you?
Any legal people out there care to comment please??
I'll keep you all updated.
The Winco
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Winco - I see where you are trying to go, but the fact that he has a conviction for fraud does not, in my opinion, automatically make him a risk with children. He's clearly a risk where there is money involved, but that is a different matter, and for the Charity Commissioners to follow up. Of course, he may have other convictions that we don't know about that do make him a risk with children, in which case the trustees' do have a problem.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Back in Geordie Land
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
aa
Yes I agree entirely, having convictions for fraud and arson does not instantly make you a threat to a child, however, I'm fairly certain that any reasonable parent of a sick youngster would be at best 'concerned' about letting their child go off with such a person. I don't think I would let my grandchildren loose with a convicted arsonist, would anyone else?
But if you as a parent don't know about it....... then what??????
It does of course open up an even bigger can of worms in that you would have expected the individual hospitals themselves to have done their own CRB checks on a person with whome they were going to hand over the custody of a sick child to, even for a 30 minute flight?
Yes I agree entirely, having convictions for fraud and arson does not instantly make you a threat to a child, however, I'm fairly certain that any reasonable parent of a sick youngster would be at best 'concerned' about letting their child go off with such a person. I don't think I would let my grandchildren loose with a convicted arsonist, would anyone else?
But if you as a parent don't know about it....... then what??????
It does of course open up an even bigger can of worms in that you would have expected the individual hospitals themselves to have done their own CRB checks on a person with whome they were going to hand over the custody of a sick child to, even for a 30 minute flight?
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
I hadn't spotted the arson conviction - and I'd agree, it's fairly unattractive. The whole CRB issue is shot full of holes, though. Self-employed people can't get CRB checks, as they and their employer are one and the same. This means that private tutors can not be regulated. They can apply for a print-out of their police record (blank if no cautions/convictions), but they are not obliged to do so, yet if they were employed in exactly the same role they'd have to be CRB checked.
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: U.K.
Age: 46
Posts: 3,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You are absolutely right in that AA. The system in place is fairly pointless and does nothing to enhance the security of anyone.
Matthews may well have a disclosure check, but as has been pointed out, it is irrelevant as it all depends on who checks it.
I wouldn't go so far to say that Matthews was a danger to the children, mor eit is the fundraising and what it then gets spent on that is distasteful.
Matthews may well have a disclosure check, but as has been pointed out, it is irrelevant as it all depends on who checks it.
I wouldn't go so far to say that Matthews was a danger to the children, mor eit is the fundraising and what it then gets spent on that is distasteful.
Red On, Green On
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the woods and the water
Age: 24
Posts: 6,487
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
The problem is that different charities have different approaches to their expenditure, salaries etc. My mother was employed by a national benevolent fund/charity as their organiser/representative in the South West. She was expected to raise (and did) about twice her employment costs, so she was "profitable". Now you might think twice about paying £5.00 for a ticket to a charity concert if you knew that £2.50 went as salary to the person who had set it up, but that is not uncommon.
If Matthews was open about his costs then the CC don't have an issue, normally, but I think he's not being transparent, so there are questions to be anwswered.
If Matthews was open about his costs then the CC don't have an issue, normally, but I think he's not being transparent, so there are questions to be anwswered.
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult
Join Date: May 2007
Location: On the western edge of The Moor
Age: 67
Posts: 1,100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
CRB checks and the Child Protection Act
It's a while since I did my training on the above but I was involved with an organisation that did background checks prior to the act, and have been CRB checked since.
The CRB check is not a stand alone item, organisations should also have a published child protection policy and a policy about what "declared/disclosed" offences are acceptable or not. There is a lot of advice on the net about these subjects if you are interested.
(I have been in the situation where a person was background checked and found to be unsuitable as well)
The basic idea is that the policy is in place first before the checks are made.
OK in a one man band this gets difficult but if there is an accusation these policies will be used.
The CRB check is not a stand alone item, organisations should also have a published child protection policy and a policy about what "declared/disclosed" offences are acceptable or not. There is a lot of advice on the net about these subjects if you are interested.
(I have been in the situation where a person was background checked and found to be unsuitable as well)
The basic idea is that the policy is in place first before the checks are made.
OK in a one man band this gets difficult but if there is an accusation these policies will be used.
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: U.K.
Age: 46
Posts: 3,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Child protection policies are often nothing more than backside covering excercises and do little to enhance the security of children. That is true of most protection "policies".
My wife was a fundraiser for Cancer Research when I first met her and she often met with the attitude from some people that she should be doing it all as a volunteer.
All very well if your husband is in the city earning a million quid a year, but for the rest of humanity getting paid is essential. Her annual targets were over £500,000 a year, so they got their moneys worth!!
This might account for some of the costs associated with Tigers for Kids, but there are too many other "oddities" involved in this.
My wife was a fundraiser for Cancer Research when I first met her and she often met with the attitude from some people that she should be doing it all as a volunteer.
All very well if your husband is in the city earning a million quid a year, but for the rest of humanity getting paid is essential. Her annual targets were over £500,000 a year, so they got their moneys worth!!
This might account for some of the costs associated with Tigers for Kids, but there are too many other "oddities" involved in this.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Riga
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And all this talk of CRB, criminality and fraud does nothing to reslove the problem of a great deal of kids being out there who should be in the air and insted will not be. Many of us on here are pilots and/or GA aircraft owners. We are the ones who could be doing something about this situation. Was it not IAOPA (correct me if I am wrong) who wanted to fly a million kids by the centenary of powered flight? At the time I thought about it but was worried about the implications of doing so in this day and age so insted I joined the ATC as a CI and got to instruct. 
The point is that WE are the ones who are in a position to right the (aparent) wrongs of this man, so why do we settle for flying 1/4 full aluminium cans around the sky when we could be doing so with someone who would get a great deal from the experience?
I am in the process of starting a flying club out here in RIXland and reading this thread has given me the idea of doing just this out here.
Now on the subject of the good Mr AM, I dont know about you but I certainly would not want my kids flying off with a convicted fraudster. If cash is a bit tight at the time, who knows what tricks he may pull out of the hat?
RIX
The point is that WE are the ones who are in a position to right the (aparent) wrongs of this man, so why do we settle for flying 1/4 full aluminium cans around the sky when we could be doing so with someone who would get a great deal from the experience?I am in the process of starting a flying club out here in RIXland and reading this thread has given me the idea of doing just this out here.
Now on the subject of the good Mr AM, I dont know about you but I certainly would not want my kids flying off with a convicted fraudster. If cash is a bit tight at the time, who knows what tricks he may pull out of the hat?
RIX
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: 7nm N of LARCK
Posts: 221
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Young Eagles
Hi RIX,
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) started their Young Eagles project with the aim of flying 1 million young people before the centenary of powered flight. They succeeded and according to their website (EAA Young Eagles) 1,437,376 kids have flown to date.
It’s not limited to the USA, people all over the world are helping to add to the total. You may like to link in to the organisation, as they have publicity material and Flight Certificates etc. We used to be part of this in the PFA / LAA, but now seem to be doing our own thing.
This isn’t limited to sick children. You may have seen my earlier post on Starlight Day etc, perhaps there is something similar in RIXland?
Safe Flying,
Richard W.
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) started their Young Eagles project with the aim of flying 1 million young people before the centenary of powered flight. They succeeded and according to their website (EAA Young Eagles) 1,437,376 kids have flown to date.
It’s not limited to the USA, people all over the world are helping to add to the total. You may like to link in to the organisation, as they have publicity material and Flight Certificates etc. We used to be part of this in the PFA / LAA, but now seem to be doing our own thing.
This isn’t limited to sick children. You may have seen my earlier post on Starlight Day etc, perhaps there is something similar in RIXland?
Safe Flying,
Richard W.
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Riga
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Whiskey Kilo Wanderer
Richard
Many thanks, yes it was the Young Eagles, good job memory tests are not part of my medical!
We don't have anything like that over here in RIXland but we should! We used to have a young flyers club but it was run by the aviation museaum curator and was short of both staff and funding, it was ground based only (based in the museum) and concentrated on engineering.
The project I am hoping to start will offer GA aircraft to current line pilots, hopefully will have a fly-a-kid programme, and if things go well should also be able to offer at-cost flight training for youngsters here who are prevented getting into aviation through the immense costs. It is ambitious to start this here, but I think I can muster enough support.
Fiona
I really sympathise with everything you have been through. I have neither met Adrian or Tyrone. I am glad for that!
I have run charitable programmes (through the Air Cadet movement) in the past in which all monies went directly into the funding of the programme - no problem with accounting for a penny, and every penny going directly into the good cause.
When people use charity to line their own pockets (and yes, this goes for a lot of the management of big charities (which is why I will never donate to charities who have dubious pay deals for their employees)), they should be held accountable, fully, for their every action, which in my opinion is intent only on defrauding those who have contributed to said charities.
RIX
Many thanks, yes it was the Young Eagles, good job memory tests are not part of my medical!
We don't have anything like that over here in RIXland but we should! We used to have a young flyers club but it was run by the aviation museaum curator and was short of both staff and funding, it was ground based only (based in the museum) and concentrated on engineering.
The project I am hoping to start will offer GA aircraft to current line pilots, hopefully will have a fly-a-kid programme, and if things go well should also be able to offer at-cost flight training for youngsters here who are prevented getting into aviation through the immense costs. It is ambitious to start this here, but I think I can muster enough support
.Fiona
I really sympathise with everything you have been through. I have neither met Adrian or Tyrone. I am glad for that!
I have run charitable programmes (through the Air Cadet movement) in the past in which all monies went directly into the funding of the programme - no problem with accounting for a penny, and every penny going directly into the good cause.
When people use charity to line their own pockets (and yes, this goes for a lot of the management of big charities (which is why I will never donate to charities who have dubious pay deals for their employees)), they should be held accountable, fully, for their every action, which in my opinion is intent only on defrauding those who have contributed to said charities.
RIX
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Very interesting article in this months 'Flight Training News' all about the secret life of Adrian Matthews, alias Walter Mitty!! The more you read, the more you realise that this man is a serial compulsive liar, a conman and a fraud!
Would you want to buy fish and chips from this man??
Would you want to buy fish and chips from this man??
Tigers for Kids 'Charity' news article
For those following the saga of Mr Matthews, this has appeared in print and on the web.
Flight Training News: learn to fly, flying schools, PPL, CPL, ATPL, aircraft, helicopter, glider, microlight
The print version of FTN has an amusing story of a (very short) period of Mr Mattews employment in the aviation industry.
Flight Training News: learn to fly, flying schools, PPL, CPL, ATPL, aircraft, helicopter, glider, microlight
The print version of FTN has an amusing story of a (very short) period of Mr Mattews employment in the aviation industry.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Back in Geordie Land
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just wanted to say a big thank you to the Mods and the tech boys and girls for getting this back up and running - well done to all.
Without wishing to advertise, could I urge as many as possible to get hold of a copy of the magazine above - it has an extremely funny (but true) account of how Matthews was caught by the police after setting fire to his Mothers Chip Shop!! He was seen running out of the door with only one shoe on and his foot on fire!! Guess where the police found the other shoe? You've got it, in the burned out Chip Shop, and they found Matthews inhospital being treated for burns to his foot!!
Thanks once again to all at Pprune for getting it back.
The Winco
Without wishing to advertise, could I urge as many as possible to get hold of a copy of the magazine above - it has an extremely funny (but true) account of how Matthews was caught by the police after setting fire to his Mothers Chip Shop!! He was seen running out of the door with only one shoe on and his foot on fire!! Guess where the police found the other shoe? You've got it, in the burned out Chip Shop, and they found Matthews inhospital being treated for burns to his foot!!
Thanks once again to all at Pprune for getting it back.
The Winco