Naomi Campbell banned from being charity trustee

The mannequin Naomi Campbell has been banned from being a charity trustee after a UK watchdog discovered charity funds had been spent on luxurious inns and spa therapies.

A Charity Fee inquiry discovered Vogue for Reduction was not passing on as a lot of the cash raised because it was presupposed to.

As a substitute it was being spent on cigarettes and safety for Campbell and different unauthorised funds to one in all her fellow charity trustees.

“I’ve simply discovered in the present day in regards to the findings, and I’m extraordinarily involved,” Campbell, 54, advised AP information company.

She added she was not the particular person “in management” of the charity.

She has been banned from charity involvement for 5 years with two different trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou, being banned for 9 years and 4 years respectively.

Representatives for the British mannequin have been contacted by the BBC.

The inquiry discovered that unauthorised funds totalling £290,000 for consultancy companies had been made to Ms Hellmich, which was in breach of the charity’s structure.

While Ms Hellmich had proactively proposed repaying these funds, the Fee-appointed interim managers secured repayments to the charity.

A sum of almost £345,000 was recovered from the charity by investigators and safety for an extra £98,000 of charity cash has been established.

The funds have been used to make funds to 2 different charities – Save the Kids Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London – and to cowl the price of Vogue for Reduction’s liabilities.

The inquiry, which checked out Vogue for Reduction’s bills between April 2016 and July 2022, discovered that simply 8.5% of funds raised had been spent on grants to charity.

Following the opening of the inquiry, each Save the Kids Fund and the Mayor’s Fund for London made complaints to the fee relating to Vogue for Reduction.

Vogue for Reduction held fundraising occasions for the 2 charities, however the inquiry discovered that it didn’t handle its partnership preparations.

Tim Hopkins, who was a part of the investigations crew, mentioned in a press release: “Trustees are legally required to make selections which might be of their charity’s finest pursuits and to adjust to their authorized duties and obligations”.

He added: “Our inquiry has discovered that the trustees of this charity failed to take action, which has resulted in our motion to disqualify them”.

Vogue for Reduction was faraway from the register of charities on 15 March 2024.