UNICEF filed a serious incident report with the Charity Commission in 2022 after disputing an alleged claim by Naomi Campbell’s former charity to be its fundraising partner for an event, it has said.
Meanwhile, the Mayor’s Fund for London and Save the Children, were reportedly owed thousands of pounds by Fashion for Relief before being reimbursed when it closed last year.
This follows a recent announcement of Campbell being disqualified from being a charity trustee for “serious mismanagement” of Fashion for Relief, which she founded in 2015 with the aims of relieving poverty and advancing health and education.
Charity fashion show
The serious incident report was filed after Fashion for Relief put on a fashion show and charity auction at the British Museum during London Fashion Week in September 2019, which was purportedly to raise funds for UNICEF UK and another charity, the Mayor’s Fund for London.
A website for the event just lists the Mayor’s Fund for London as a partner but in a brochure seen by the Guardian, Fashion for Relief had said the funds raised would “support UNICEF’s efforts” to protect and transform children’s lives.
UNICEF UK has now said that it had never been a partner of Fashion for Relief, nor had it received any proceeds from the 2019 British Museum event, and had submitted the serious incident report in 2022.
Meanwhile, while the Mayor’s Fund for London did receive £100,000 of proceeds from Fashion for Relief from the 2019 British Museum event, it also subsequently submitted a serious incident report to the commission.
The London-based children and young people’s charity alleged that the £50,000 that Fashion for Relief had promised to donate to it from a pop-up shop fundraiser in November 2019 never materialised.
Elsewhere, Save the Children threatened legal action against Fashion for Relief in 2019 over sums it said it was owed from two previous gala fundraising events in 2017 and 2018 that were held in Cannes.
Both Save the Children and the Mayor’s Fund for London later received £200,000 and £50,000 respectively when Campbell’s charity was formally closed in December 2023.
UNICEF: Campbell ‘never held’ official role with charity
UNICEF also queried as to why Campbell was referred to as a UNICEF “envoy” in 2018 at an official government meeting with Boris Johnson, who was then foreign secretary, as she had never held an official role with the charity.
A spokesperson for UNICEF said: “We take fundraising compliance very seriously and UNICEF UK reported Fashion for Relief to the Charity Commission, as per our statutory requirements.
“We have never held any official partnership with Fashion for Relief and we have never received any funds from the 2019 event.
“Naomi Campbell has never held an official role or title with UNICEF or UNICEF UK and we are in touch with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to understand what happened.
“At UUK, we are extremely proud of our ambassadorial programme and the dedicated individuals who give up their time to support our cause both privately and publicly.
“An official ambassadorial role comes after many years of commitment and support to UNICEF.”
Both Save the Children and the Mayor’s Fund for London were contacted for comment.
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