The Charity Commission has struck of Naomi Campbell from being a charity Trustee for 5 years.
The model Naomi Campbell has been banned from being a charity trustee after a watchdog found charity funds were spent on luxury hotels and spa treatments. A Charity Commission inquiry found Fashion for Relief was not passing on as much of the money raised as it was supposed to. 6 hours ago.
Campbell cannot be a charity trustee for five years
The model Naomi Campbell has been banned from being a charity trustee after a watchdog found charity funds were spent on luxury hotels and spa treatments.
A Charity Commission inquiry found Fashion for Relief was not passing on as much of the money raised as it was supposed to.
Instead it was being spent on cigarettes and security for Campbell and other unauthorised payments to one of her fellow charity trustees.
“I’ve just found out today about the findings, and I am extremely concerned,” Campbell, 54, told AP news agency.
She added she was not the person “in control” of the charity.
She has been banned from charity involvement for five years with two other trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, being banned for nine years and four years respectively.
Representatives for the British model have been contacted by the BBC.
The inquiry found that unauthorised payments totalling £290,000 for consultancy services had been made to Ms Hellmich, which was in breach of the charity’s constitution.
Whilst Ms Hellmich had proactively proposed repaying these funds, the Commission-appointed interim managers secured repayments to the charity.
Naomi Campbell ‘extremely concerned’ about charity investigation
A sum of nearly £345,000 was recovered from the charity by investigators and protection for a further £98,000 of charity money has been established.
The funds have been used to make payments to two other charities – Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London – and to cover the cost of Fashion for Relief’s liabilities.
The inquiry, which looked at Fashion for Relief’s expenses between April 2016 and July 2022, found that just 8.5% of funds raised were spent on grants to charity.
Following the opening of the inquiry, both Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London made complaints to the commission regarding Fashion for Relief.
Fashion for Relief held fundraising events for the two charities, but the inquiry found that it failed to manage its partnership arrangements.
Tim Hopkins, who was part of the investigations team, said in a statement: “Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities”.
He added: “Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, which has resulted in our action to disqualify them”.
Fashion for Relief was removed from the register of charities on 15 March 2024.
10 hours ago
Press release
The Charity Commission has today (26 September 2024) published the report of its statutory inquiry into Fashion for Relief, concluding the charity was poorly governed and had inadequate financial management.
As a result of its findings, which included multiple instances of misconduct and / or mismanagement, the Commission took action to disqualify three individuals from trusteeship (Bianka Hellmich for nine years, Naomi Campbell for five years and Veronica Chou for four years), recovered over £344,000 and protected a further £98,000 of charitable funds. These funds were used to make donations to two other charities and settle the charity’s outstanding liabilities.
Fashion for Relief, which has been removed from the register of charities, was set up for the purpose of poverty relief and advancing health and education by making grants to charities or other organisations and by giving resources directly to those affected.
The inquiry found that between April 2016 and July 2022, only 8.5% of the charity’s overall expenditure was on charitable grants. The inquiry saw no evidence that trustees had reviewed the charity’s operating model to ensure fundraising methods were in the charity’s best interest and costs were reasonable relative to income generated. It also found some of the charity’s fundraising expenditure was not reasonable.
The charity had held fundraising events for the Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London. The inquiry found that the trustees of Fashion for Relief failed to manage these partnership arrangements. Interim managers appointed by the Commission made payments to these two charities before the charity was wound-up.
The inquiry also found that unauthorised payments totalling £290,000 for consultancy services had been made to a trustee, Bianka Hellmich, which was in breach of the charity’s constitution. Whilst Ms Hellmich had proactively proposed repaying these funds, the Commission-appointed interim managers secured repayments to the charity.
Additionally, the inquiry found that the charity’s funds were held and applied on its behalf by external professional advisors (solicitors and accountants) rather than in a dedicated bank account in the charity’s name. After the Commission investigated transactions made under this arrangement, £54,000 was recovered to the charity from one professional advisory firm. These transactions were not identified or challenged by the trustees at the time.
Trustees are legally required to make decisions that are in their charity’s best interests and to comply with their legal duties and responsibilities. Our inquiry has found that the trustees of this charity failed to do so, which has resulted in our action to disqualify them.
This inquiry, and the work of the interim managers we appointed to run the charity in place of the trustees, has resulted in the recovery of £344,000 and protection of a further £98,000 charitable funds. I am pleased that the inquiry has seen donations made to other charities which this charity has previously supported.
The report detailing the full findings, regulatory actions and conclusions of this inquiry can be found on gov.uk.
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Email pressenquiries@charitycommission.gov.uk
Out of hours press office contact number: 07785 748787
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