“In the face of significant changes and prevailing economic conditions the board of trustees have to announce the charity’s closure from today” reads the statement from The British Association of Adoption and Fostering. They went into liquidation a few days ago.
With 450 corporate members – local authorities, independent fostering agencies, voluntary adoption agencies, NHS trusts, law firms and voluntary organisations – and 1400 individual members the liquidation of BAAF is arguably more significant than the closure of Kids Company. The allegations fueling the national news agenda are burning Kids Company to the ground.
Fortunately the foundations are in tact. The closures happened within four days of each other. The difference is that Kids Company were beaten into submission by public hounding: A relentless attack of deliberately placed misinformation at a crucial time in its own fundraising strategy: not the fault of the press or the media. They are only dancing to a tune already played.
There has been a campaign to encourage, through curated supposition, that something shady must be going on at Kids Company. Camilla is accused of having a personality. But let’s be serious. It’s not her personality and charm tjat raised the millions needed for the last fifteen years. It’s results. Kids Company has been granted funds based on continual solid practice and successful results.
Through independent reports and audits the people who fund Kids Company know how good the practice is. As for one very clearly identifiable funder the question should be What is it about Kids Company and its practice and success which made one of its funders pull the plug by using finance as the lever?
This article has been edited.
I am shocked! I can’t believe all her excellent work has been terminated. It beggars belief. So many kids were ‘saved’ thanks to her efforts. Forget about the religious meaning and think about the number of desperate kids who were contemplating suicide because their life had become unbearable… Utter madness!
Lemn you’ve summed it up. It is shocking and depressing. Hearing Cammilla cry yesteday on one of the news items was horrible, the bloody bastards who are taking the ground from under those who are simply trying to stand up for themselves, to find confidence, care, skills to mend and try to create lives, in this case, children.
As for the damning accusation of ‘financial mismanagement’ what utter hypocrisy.
Kids Company helped a number of children, however it appears from media coverage that the aim of the charity was exceeded, the charity was set up to help children, i.e. up to ages 18/19 not adults. Employees should not have been given money to send their children to private school, and money should not have been handed to vunerable children to spend on drink, drugs, cigarettes etc. All charitys have a responsibility to manage their funds responsibility & this obviously has been abused.