Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh dies aged 61
Her family described her as an “endless source of inspiration” who “dedicated her life to advocating for Britain’s most vulnerable children”.
Camila Batmanghelidjh, the founder of charity Kids Company has died aged 61.
Keeping Kids Company, which was also known as Kids Company or Kids Co, supported vulnerable children and young people in London and Bristol.
It attracted celebrity backers including former prime minister David Cameron, Coldplay, artist Damien Hirst and comedian Michael McIntyre.
In a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday, her family said: “It is with great sadness that the family of Camila Batmanghelidjh announce her passing. She died peacefully in her sleep the night of January 1, following a birthday celebration with her family.
“Camila dedicated her life to advocating for Britain’s most vulnerable children. She was the founder of two groundbreaking charities, Place2Be and Kids Company, which pioneered new therapeutic and clinical models to achieve a singular goal: ‘To see children and young people become safe and able to realise their potential.’”
Her family described her as an “endless source of inspiration” who “dedicated her life to advocating for Britain’s most vulnerable children”.
The statement said: “For all those around her, and especially for her family, she was endless source of inspiration, a fountain of wit, and a kaleidoscope of colour.”
Her charity was established in 1996 but was closed in 2015, following a myriad of accusations including financial mishandling and sexual assault.
Police launched an investigation, which was dropped seven months later, into unfounded allegations of abuse and exploitation, following the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight report.
In 2021, a bid to ban Ms Batmanghelidjh and seven ex-trustees from being company directors was rejected by a High Court judge.
In 2022, the Charity Commission later published a report concluding that the charity had been mismanaged, claiming it operated a “high risk business model”.
Later that year, Ms Batmanghelidjh won a High Court bid to pursue a judicial review of the report.
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