The British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been banned from serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales for five years due to the poor governance and inadequate financial management of the poverty charity she founded nearly two decades ago, called “Fashion for Relief.” The Charity Commission, which oversees charities in England and Wales, conducted a three-year investigation into the charity’s financial activities and found instances of misconduct and mismanagement. Only 8.5% of the charity’s expenditure went towards charitable grants between 2016 and 2019. The commission discovered that charity funds were used to pay for luxury expenses for Campbell, including a hotel stay in Cannes, France, spa treatments, room service, and cigarettes. Campbell expressed concern over the findings and stated that she was not in control of the charity’s finances, putting the blame on a legal employer.
The investigation also revealed that fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich received unauthorized funds of around 290,000 pounds for consultancy services, which violated the charity’s constitution. Hellmich has been disqualified as a trustee for nine years, while the other trustee, Veronica Chou, was banned for four years. The Charity Commission emphasized that trustees must act in the charity’s best interests and fulfill their legal duties, which the trustees of Fashion for Relief failed to do. The charity, founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, was dissolved and removed from the charity register earlier this year. Despite its dissolution, the charity’s website remains active and states that it raised over $15 million for various causes worldwide through fashion initiatives and projects in different cities.
The commission reported that 344,000 pounds of charitable funds have been recovered, and an additional 98,000 pounds have been safeguarded. These funds were used to make donations to other charities and settle outstanding liabilities. The charity’s original goal was to unite the fashion industry to alleviate poverty and support health and education by providing grants to organizations and aiding in global disasters. The regulator expressed satisfaction with the donations made to other charities that were previously supported by Fashion for Relief. Campbell, who was recently honored as a knight in France’s Order of Arts and Letters for her contribution to French culture, stated that an investigation was underway to determine the extent of the financial mismanagement within the charity. The Charity Commission’s deputy director for specialist investigations and standards, Tim Hopkins, emphasized the importance of trustees complying with their legal duties to prevent misconduct and mismanagement.
Overall, the investigation into Fashion for Relief revealed significant financial mismanagement and misconduct, leading to the disqualification of Naomi Campbell and other trustees from serving as charity trustees in England and Wales. The charity, which aimed to support various causes through fashion initiatives, failed to allocate a significant portion of its expenditure towards charitable grants. The Charity Commission recovered a portion of the charitable funds and ensured that the money was used to benefit other charities and settle outstanding liabilities. Despite the dissolution of Fashion for Relief, the regulator acknowledged the donations made to other charitable organizations that were previously supported by the charity. Campbell’s response to the investigation highlighted her lack of control over the charity’s finances and her commitment to uncovering the extent of the mismanagement. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of proper governance and financial oversight within charitable organizations to ensure that funds are utilized for their intended purposes.
