A recent inquiry by the Charity Commission has revealed that Fashion for Relief, the charity founded by supermodel Naomi Campbell, failed to allocate funds as promised, leading to Campbell’s five-year ban from serving as a charity trustee.
The investigation found that large amounts of money raised by the charity were misused, with funds going towards cigarettes, security for Campbell, and unauthorized payments to other trustees.
Campbell, 54, expressed her concern over the findings, stating, “I’ve just found out today about the findings, and I am extremely concerned,” while noting she was not directly in control of the charity.
Alongside Campbell, fellow trustees Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou were also banned for nine and four years, respectively. The inquiry discovered unauthorized payments of £290,000 to Hellmich for consultancy services, in direct violation of the charity’s rules.
Despite Hellmich’s proactive offer to repay the funds, interim managers appointed by the Commission secured full repayment. In total, nearly £345,000 was recovered, with £98,000 further protected.
Funds recovered from Fashion for Relief have since been directed to two other charities, Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London, along with covering outstanding liabilities of Fashion for Relief.
The inquiry, covering April 2016 to July 2022, found that only 8.5% of the money raised by Fashion for Relief went to charitable grants, significantly underperforming on its promises. Both Save the Children Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London had lodged complaints with the Commission about the mismanagement of their partnership with the charity.
Tim Hopkins, part of the investigation team, emphasized that trustees are required by law to act in the best interests of their charity, stating, “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 officially removed from the register of charities in March 2024.
