Reggie Yates Meets World TV - Civil Society online - Spac Nation TV -
In our fast-changing world young people are being tempted with news to better their lives … I have heard about this one church who are adamant that what they are doing is changing things. So I’m spending the week inside Spac Nation to see for myself whether it really could offer a solution to London’s knife crime academic. Reggie Yates Meets World s1e1: Reggie Meets SPAC Nation, MTV 2019
The Takeover is targeting young kids who wish to leave their street lives behind. ibid.
A convoy around the streets flaunting their high-end cars: it’s not subtle but it’s a good way to show off to potential recruits. ibid.
MPs have raised serious concerns about SPAC Nation in Parliament and called on authorities to suspend its charitable status while an investigation is being carried out. The church charity is under investigation by the Charity Commission and Metropolitan Police, following allegations of fraud and exploitation of young people. Steve Reed, Labour MP for Croydon North, said: ‘I am convinced that SPAC Nation is a cult’ and claimed it mainly targets young black people in poorer parts of London, exploiting them for financial gain. Reed said he has been inundated with phone calls and emails from young people and their parents ‘making alarming allegations about SPAC Nation.’ Reed said he was concerned about young people still involved with SPAC Nation. He said: ‘I am deeply worried that more has not been done to stop this organisation from exploiting vulnerable young people.’ SPAC Nation claims to have up to 1,000 young people still involved: ‘Everyone of those young people is potentially at risk.’ He said SPAC Nation had been recruiting outside school gates and outside youth centres. ‘They are targeting young people so that they can exploit them and it is imperative that they are stopped.’ He added: ‘We surely cannot allow this organisation to continue targeting other young people for abuse and exploitation when it is possible for us to take steps and action to protect them.’
Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh said: ‘The Charity Commission can often move very slowly, and given the seriousness of the allegations, would there not be a possibility of suspending charitable status while the investigations are going ahead. Considering other charities who work with young people, I am aware that this has happened in the past.’ The Commission said: ‘We welcome yesterday’s debate in parliament. We are urgently progressing our investigation into SPAC Nation. The issues raised in relation to the charity are highly concerning, and clearly entirely at odds with what people expect of charities. Our ongoing inquiry allows us to examine these concerns in full to establish what has happened and determine our next steps. While we will progress our investigations at pace, we must also ensure that our work in this case is robust and thorough, and that we work closely with other agencies and organisations where appropriate.’ Civil Society online article 9 January 2020
He [Pastor Toby] preaches a form of prosperity gospel, a belief that God rewards the faithful with material wealth. He claims the church which started around eight years ago turns violent gang members away from crime. It’s caught the attention of the media. Panorama: Conned By My Church, BBC 2019
On social media serious concerns have been surfacing about the church’s fundraising activities. ibid.
SPAC Nation encourages worshippers to donate money to the church. It says the more they give, they more wealth and success they get back. They call it Sowing Seed. ibid.