Tribunal overturns Naomi Campbell’s charity trustee ban

A First-tier Tribunal has overturned Naomi Campbell’s five-year ban on serving as a charity trustee in England and Wales, finding that the most serious financial misconduct at Fashion for Relief was carried out by fellow trustee Bianka Hellmich and concealed from Campbell. The tribunal upheld findings of serious misconduct and mismanagement at the charity, which Campbell founded, but concluded that the evidence did not show she was responsible for the misuse of funds or unfit to serve as a trustee. The ruling reverses a disqualification imposed by the Charity Commission in 2024 after an investigation into the charity’s administration. The panel found Campbell shared responsibility for failures to keep proper minutes and file accounts on time. It said those shortcomings did not, in the circumstances, justify barring her from trusteeship. The tribunal also found she had no reasonable basis to suspect Hellmich’s dishonesty before regulatory concerns emerged and took reasonable steps once they did. According to the tribunal findings, Hellmich used forged documents and a false email address and deceived Campbell, professional advisers and the Charity Commission.