Razed Roof issue statement as they set date to return to Harlow Playhouse
Communities / Fri 10th Apr 2026 at 07:09am
A STATEMENT from Glynis Bainbridge, chairperson of Razed Roof.
“Razed Roof is delighted to announce that it will be returning to the Harlow Playhouse on April 16th, having been entirely exonerated of any wrongdoing by the appropriate authorities.
Following an incident on January 25th at the Holocaust Memorial event, Razed Roof was banned from using any council premises or receiving any council funding by Dan Swords, the Leader of Harlow Council.
He also referred Razed Roof to the police and the Charity Commission.
A very difficult period then followed for members of the group, who suddenly lost their regular opportunity to meet up and be a part of this longstanding inclusive charity for neurodivergent people.
Following their speedy investigation, the police found that there was no case for the charity to answer.
The Charity Commission carried out a thorough examination of the extensive documentation provided by the Trustees in response to the allegations which had been made.
A regulatory compliance meeting was held in person in February with two Charity Commissioners, several Razed Roof Trustees and two members of Razed Roof staff.
The circumstances surrounding the incident on January 25th were discussed in depth and carefully considered.
A great deal of evidence was provided by the Trustees in response to the allegations made in January in Councillor Sword’s letter.
The conclusion which the Charity Commission came to was that the Trustees had taken ‘’appropriate measures both before and after the incident to safeguard the Charity’s beneficiaries, it’s reputation and acted with reasonable care and skill.
As such, the Commission is satisfied that no further regulatory action is required.’
This outcome has been communicated to Councillor Swords, who stated in his response to this news that ‘Razed Roof makes an important and valued contribution to Harlow’s cultural and community life, and the council looks forward to supporting the organisation as it moves forward.’
Razed Roof now intends to move ahead and pick up where it left off in January. Plans are now under way for the Colossal Chit Chat which will take place at Harlow Playhouse on the evening of Thursday May 14th.
“We hope to see many of our loyal supporters there”.
Glynis Bainbridge
Chair of Razed Roof Trustees
Hooray for RR
2026-04-10 07:23:46
I’m delighted that Razed Roof can return to business as usual, and that members can finally meet at The Playhouse after that unnecessary episode. However, no apology for from Dan Swords for the chaos he caused? No donation from Dan Swords for the missed funding opportunities directly resulting from his mindless action? No explanation from Dan Swords as to why he collectively punished the group for the actions of an individual? Too busy posting about his new M&S no doubt.
Emma Batrick
2026-04-10 07:28:10
I look forward to attending but the sudden closure of Razed Roof - who let’s not forget Dan Swords BANNED from meeting in any council premises - was extremely traumatic to all involved. Razed Roof was cleared by every organisation he referred them to - the police and the Charity Commission. I think Dan Swords has a lot to answer still. Were impact assessments undertaken by Harlow Council and Dan Swords before banning Razed Roof from its buildings? Were assessments made under the Equalities Act 2010? Will Dan Swords apologise? How can he be stopped from doing something like this again? Does Chris Vince MP regret turning his back on a group he was happy to stand with when he wanted to be elected, but cut all ties immediately in their time of need?
chris b
2026-04-10 08:13:31
Wonder of Chris vince will be in attendance for the welcome back event after his swift exit stage left when things got steamy? Well there should at least be a photo opportunity for him to show his token support built as strong as a house built of playing cards.
KJ
2026-04-10 09:21:35
Absolutely fabulous news for RR members and the team of dedicated staff and trustees. But I agree with previous comments on this post. Where is Dan Swords PUBLIC apology for the hurt, disruption and confusion he caused? I too would be interested to see if Chris Vince will also publicly be eating humble pie? In the meantime I look forward to watching RR overcome, rise above and soar like everyone knows they can.
KJ
2026-04-10 09:38:45
Absolutely delighted that RR are back where they belong, doing what they love in a building they love, reunited together. I do however agree with previous comments on this post. Where is the PUBLIC apology from Dan Swords for the hurt, chaos and confusion he caused for RR members, not to mention the stress and uncertainty placed on RR staff and Trustees who have been forced to navigate this wholly unjustified state of affairs, and have done so with the upmost grace and dignity? As for Chris Vince.......wonder if he will publicly eat a large slice of humble pie, for instantly turning his back on a group who have had an unblemished record for over 30 years? Somehow I think not. In the meantime I am looking forward to watching RR rise like a Phoenix and soar like only they can.
Rooney
2026-04-10 10:42:44
Since they should never have been banned in the first place, this is great news. I eagerly await the apologies from Swords and Vince for their behavious in all of this.
Mike Harlow
2026-04-10 10:57:31
Public apologies needed for the stress that has been caused but I won't hold my breath.
Katherine Frances
2026-04-10 11:14:53
Firstly, let me be clear, I have no connection to Razed Roof, I'm not a member, a trustee, or a member of staff. I'm simply a Harlow resident who has been pushing for this outcome since January because what happened was wrong, and someone needed to say so. Dan Swords, Leader of Harlow Council, banning Razed Roof from council premises, the stopping of their funding, referring them to the police AND the Charity Commission, was a triple-barrelled attack on a charity that had had done nothing wrong. The result? The police found no case to answer. The Charity Commission concluded that the trustees had taken 'appropriate measures both before and after the incident' and that 'no further regulatory action is required.' Complete and total exoneration on every front. And yet, where is Dan Swords? Where is his direct, public apology? This is a man who has been loudly taking credit for everything positive happening in Harlow right now. Every improvement, every announcement, he's front and centre. He was a councillor last time I checked, not our MP, but you wouldn't know it from the fanfare. Yet when a charity he attacked has been entirely cleared, he can't find the words for a direct public statement? Instead his response is quietly buried inside Razed Roof's own announcement, a warm line about them making 'an important and valued contribution.' If he believed that, why did he try to destroy them? Let's also talk about who really suffered here. While politicians played their games, it was Razed Roof's members, neurodivergent people, many with SEND, who lost their safe space, their community, their routine. Overnight. Through no fault of their own. These members had no voice, no agency, and no say in any of this. They were invisible, pawns in a row between people with power, their lives disrupted while investigations ran their course. The dedicated staff and trustees who navigated this nightmare, referred to the police, hauled before the Charity Commission, fighting to keep the charity alive, did so with grace and dignity they were never owed the opportunity to need. And then there's Chris Vince, who as a trustee walked away the moment things got difficult, abandoning a charity with a 30 year record at the first sign of controversy. Will he be there for the welcome back? Will there be a photo opportunity to show his token support? The community will be watching. I'll say it plainly: Dan Swords was quick enough to act in January. He was quick enough to refer them to the police. He was quick enough to strip their funding. The outcome was always going to be this, any reasonable person could see that a charity of 30 years standing, with no involvement in that speech, was never going to be found guilty of anything. So why no direct comment now? Why no apology to the members whose lives he disrupted? Why no acknowledgment of the stress placed on staff and trustees? Why no commitment to make good on the funding they lost? Razed Roof returns to the Playhouse on April 16th. They will rise, as they always do. But let the record show exactly what happened here, who caused it, and who still hasn't had the courage to say sorry.
Anonymous
2026-04-10 13:42:00
Absolutely delighted Razed Roof are back and rising like a Phoenix. No apology from Dan Swords for the way he treated them and knowingly wasting police time and resources over a civil matter rather than a legal one. An example of bad leadership.
David Forman
2026-04-11 11:32:20
I'll just repeat Emma Batrick's words: "Does Chris Vince MP regret turning his back on a group he was happy to stand with when he wanted to be elected, but cut all ties immediately in their time of need?"
Hooray for RR
2026-04-11 19:42:43
@David Forman yes Chris Vince is a huge disappointment for leaving Razed Roof in its time of need, but let’s not shift the focus from the real issue here. Dan Swords caused all of this unnecessary hurt, and is a danger to the SEND community
Mazzy
2026-04-13 20:06:27
I look forward to seeing Raised Roof again.
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