Naomi Campbell orders new investigation into fashion charity after trustees block it

Model Naomi Campbell said she had instructed new advisers to investigate what happened at her charity Fashion for Relief after she was banned from serving as a trustee for five years, adding that aspects of the regulator’s report were “deeply disturbing.” are faulty”.

The 54-year-old said the Charity Commission report, which found serious mismanagement of funds including hotel stays and spa treatments, was “incomplete and misleading in its assessment of the evidence”.

Campbell was one of three trustees disqualified as a result of the investigation.

“First and foremost, I acknowledge that as the face of Fashion for Relief, I am ultimately responsible for their conduct,” Campbell said in a statement to the PA news agency.

“Unfortunately, I was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the organization and left the legal and operational management to others.

“I would like to reassure everyone who has supported us that these results will be taken very seriously.

“I have appointed new advisors to conduct a detailed investigation into the events.”

Campbell insisted she was “never paid a fee for my participation in Fashion for Relief, nor was the organization charged for any personal expenses.”

“I have dedicated nearly 30 years of my life to charitable initiatives and I care deeply about the value and impact of my work,” she said.

“I usually combine my charity work with paid assignments that cover my travel and related costs.

“In cases where this is not possible, either myself or personal friends have covered the costs.

“In fact, in relation to the specific hotel costs mentioned in the report, the hotel confirmed that all costs were paid by my personal travel agent, who in turn confirmed that they were reimbursed directly by a third party not affiliated with the Foundation.”

Campbell said she intends to consider all options, including seeking an appeal, to ensure the report “represents a fair and accurate representation of our operations.”

“We believe parts of the report are deeply flawed,” she added.

The Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, launched an investigation into Fashion for Relief in 2021.

Our investigation into Fashion for Relief found that the charity was poorly run and had inadequate financial management.

We have removed three people from trust, recovered over £344,000 and protected a further £98,000 of charity funds: pic.twitter.com/SgLtJpo7FG

— Charity Commission (@ChtyCommission) September 26, 2024

It was dissolved and struck off the register of charities earlier this year.

It was founded with the aim of uniting the fashion industry to alleviate poverty and promote health and education by providing grants to other organizations and providing resources in the wake of global disasters.

Campbell said the experience “only strengthened my resolve to continue to make a positive impact on the world.”

Fellow trustees Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou were also disqualified for nine and four years respectively.

This means they are prohibited from acting as a trustee or holding a senior position in a charity in England and Wales for the duration of the disqualification.

The Charity Commission report, published on Thursday, said £344,000 was recovered and a further £98,000 of charitable funds protected.

The research found that between April 2016 and July 2022, charitable grants accounted for 8.5% of the charity’s total spending.

The investigation found that there was no evidence that the trustees took steps to ensure that fundraising methods were in the best interests of the charity or that the money spent was proportionate to the income generated.

Some fundraising expenditure was also found to be a case of misconduct or mismanagement by the charity’s trustees.

This included a 14,800 euro (£12,300) flight from London to Nice to transfer art and jewelry to a fundraiser in Cannes in 2018.

The decision to spend €9,400 (£7,800) in charity money on a three-day stay at a five-star hotel for Campbell was also examined.

In these cases, the trustees “failed to demonstrate that these were cost-effective and appropriate use of the charity’s resources”, the Charity Commission said.

It also examined Campbell’s expenses totaling almost €7,940 (£6,600), which, in addition to the hotel stay, were paid for by the charity.

These costs included spa treatments, room service, and the purchase of cigarettes and hotel products.

The regulator said the trustees had explained that the hotel costs would typically be covered by a donor to the charity and therefore not cost by the charity, but had provided no evidence of this.