Camila Batmanghelidjh: Kids Company founder dies aged 61 - who was she and why did the charity collapse?

The founder of the Kids Company children’s charity, Camila Batmanghelidjh, has died aged 61. She became one of the UK’s best known campaigners for disadvantaged youngsters and was also known for her charisma and colourful dress sense.

She died peacefully on New Year’s Day, having celebrated her birthday with family and friends. In a statement, 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.’”

Alan Yentob, the broadcaster and former chair of Kids Company, who worked closely with Batmanghelidjh over many years, said: “All of us who worked with Camila are devastated by this news, as will be the thousands of children whose lives were transformed by her work. She will be sorely missed.” Homeless charity Brixton Soup Kitchen said it was "very sad" adding that Batmanghelidjh "donated over 100 Christmas gifts last week to less fortunate kids".

Batmanghelidjh set up Kids Company in south London in the late 1990s to provide support for youngsters scarred by poverty, abuse, trauma and gang violence. Her work caught the attention of the public, politicians and celebrities - including former prime minister David Cameron, Coldplay, artist Damien Hirst and comedian Michael McIntyre - and she became famous in her own right.

In 2015, Batmanghelidjh and the charity’s trustees closed Kids Company after a BBC report claimed sexual abuse had taken place at the charity which worsened its financial troubles. Police investigated the allegations but found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Batmanghelidjh protested her innocence but was vilified by parts of the media for months. The official receiver launched a high-profile and expensive attempt to ban her from holding senior roles in public life. This culminated in a 10-week court case in 2021.

The high court exonerated Batmanghelidjh and rejected the claim that Kids Company had been mismanaged and charitable funds misspent. The judge praised her for the “enormous dedication she showed to vulnerable young people over many years”.

Following this, the Charity Commission published a report into the collapse of Kids Company and claimed the charity had been administratively mismanaged. Batmanghelidjh was outraged and last year won permission to go to the high court to try to overturn the report. However her ill health meant she could not progress her case.

After Kids Company had collapsed, Batmanghelidjh continued her work below the public radar from her small flat in West Hampstead. Her family’s statement added: “Working alongside her devoted colleagues and dedicated volunteers and donors, Camila changed the lives of tens of thousands of children and young people in London and Bristol otherwise neglected by a failing child protection system. She showed these children that they were worthy of love and support.”