Naomi Campbell has been disqualified from being a charity trustee after the Charity Commission found widespread misconduct at Fashion for Relief.

The former supermodel has received a five-year ban after the watchdog found serious mismanagement of charity finances. Campbell’s fellow trustees, Bianka Hellmich and Veronica Chou have also been disqualified as charity trustees for nine years and four years respectively.

Fashion for Relief was founded by Campbell in 2005 to relieve poverty and advance health and education, by making grants to other charitable organisations.

However, the regulator found that charity funds had been used inappropriately. This included £7,800 spent on a short stay at a five-star hotel in Cannes for Naomi Campbell’s.

The Charity Commission has said that the trustees had “failed to show how these were cost-effective and an appropriate use of the charity’s resources”.

The regulator also found that charity funds had been spent on spa treatments, room service and cigarettes for Naomi Campbell.

Following the Charity Commission inquiry, it transpired that between April 2016 and July 2022, only 8.5% of the charity’s overall spending was on furthering its charitable purposes.

We understand that, to date, around £344,000 has been recovered and a further £98,000 of charitable funds protected.

The charity has now been dissolved and removed from the charity register.

The Charity Commission has confirmed that “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.”

Every charity needs an effective trustee body that has control over the administration of the charity. This includes having adequate financial and administrative controls in place so that charitable funds are used in furtherance of the objects and for the public benefit.

This case underlines the importance of compliance with charity law and trustee duties. Charity trustees will be held accountable by the Commission for their failings.

If you have any questions about compliance with charity law, please contact the Geldards Charity team.