United Kingdom charity Kids Company is under investigation by that country’s Charity Commission following yet another request for money from the government. The charity has received several large grants from the British government, up to £4 million, and has faced allegations of favoritism from charities with similar goals.
The Charity Commission investigates charities and oversees them on behalf of the British government, and they have required Kids Company founder, Camila Batmanghelidjh to step down from her role as chief executive. In exchange for her giving up day-to-day control of the charity, the government has provided the group with another £3 million lifeline.
Batmanghelidjh maintains that she is being silences for voicing criticism of government cuts that affect poor children, but the fact remains that Kids Company, a charity popular with celebrities, has received a great deal more aide from the government than others. ChildLine, a 24 hour hotline that operates throughout the UK and helps children, received one large grant some years ago in order to stay operational, but Kids Company has been getting grants on the regular. What’s more, Kids Company operates just in South London, and while London is the largest city in the UK, there are plenty of children around the nation not being helped by the charity. It is for these reasons that the Charity Commission has begun to question whether or not Kids Company is putting taxpayers’ money to good use.
The Charity Commission has received a number of reports about Kids Company’s financial stability, and has ordered an audit of the group. It is as yet unclear what the Commission plans to do with the information they get from the audit. The first step, or removing Batmanghelidjh from her position is a common first step when organizations, charities or otherwise, are under investigation in these kinds of situations.