A CHURCH minister denied gambling with the future of a homeless charity during passionate exchanges at an employment tribunal.

On the second day of the tribunal in Newcastle yesterday, representatives of the Salvation Army and the Darlington-based 700 Club clashed over who legally employed 19 staff when they were made redundant.

The 19 staff, who worked at the Salvation Army-run Tom Raine Court, in Darlington, said they did not receive any redundancy pay when the centre closed in July last year.

The Salvation Army said socalled TUPE regulations applied, which would have meant all its staff transferring to the 700 Club when it won a tendering exercise.

The 700 Club took on the homeless hostel provision in Darlington after being selected by Darlington Borough Council.

During the hearing, Steve Wykes, on the tribunal bench, questioned the decision by the 700 Club’s board to put in for the tender with the possibility of the transfer of staff and the consequential increase of £320,000 in costs.

He said: “You were either bold, brave, intelligent, or – dare I say it – taking one hell of a gamble.”

But 700 Club founder the Reverend John Elliston said the board had consulted on the tendering process and decided unanimously that TUPE regulations would not apply. He said: “The board would not have risked the future of the organisation for a contract that we would have had to pay to deliver.

“If we find ourselves in a situation where we have to pay £320,000, it wipes our organisation out.”

Mr Elliston said the service offered by the 700 Club before and after the tendering process had remained the same.

He said TUPE would only apply if the service was new or had significantly changed since that process.

Yvonne Beattie, hostel manager, said that Tom Raine Court only accepted men, yet since the Salvation Army centre closed in July, the 700 Club had seen a decrease in the number of men requiring its services.

She said this showed the two charities had a different client base, and that there was therefore no transfer of service.

She added: “This was a continuation of a service by one provider and a discontinuation of a service by another.”

The tribunal continues on Monday.