to think Camila Batmanghelidjh is fucking awesome?

[bejeezus]

I saw her talk on a news programme last night...

shes so composed and articulate, and clear-sighted and insightful and compassionate and calm and stylish and unique...

and the work she does/ what she acheives is OUTSTANDING..

heres a link to her wiki page...but it doesnt do her any justice

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camila_Batmanghelidjh

Ukib1 - Usually charities who receive Government funding have to provide lots of information about what they are doing, and have to keep auditable evidence of that. I have worked both in public and charity sector, and have had to be far more accountable in he charity sector.
But the normal rules seem to have been waved for KC.

Makes you wonder what other "charismatic" people politicians are impressed with rather than looking at evidence and facts.

If you've been wondering how so many of our betters were taken in by CB and didn't seem to concern themselves with wondering whether KC was actually achieving anything with an annual spend of £20M (I've heard reported a total amount of £150M over the years), have a listen to this week's Any Questions on Radio 4.

An audience member asked whether the millions would have been better spent on social services. Foolishly I expected to hear sceptical comments about CB/KC. A panel made up of:
a celebrity headmaster;
a (minor-) celebrity businesswoman; and
a celebrity Bonnie Greer
outdid themselves in gushing over CB being a veritable saint brought low by those who had failed her. The only contrary voice was Toby Young but he focused on how David Cameron has acted completely properly. (I think Toby Young has set his heart on a seat in the Lords.)

So it seems that CB was utterly adored by those having a media profile who make a living giving talks about how everyone should listen to them because they have the answers. And when they're given cause to reflect on whether they might have got it wrong they are unwilling to look past the noble being they'd built in their own heads.

The cult of celebrity-it makes me very fearful for the future-everything is superficial spin and we are being governed by people who don't know what they are doing-quite scary.

I was also shocked about that panel - I think it tells us something about who we value in society.

What about Question Time panel that invited the local head of children's services, the chief exec of the local hospital or clinical commissioning group or head teacher at the local comp? Nope, apparently we only want politicians, celebrities or business people's opinions.

Last week it was no surprise that the most intelligent comments came from the Head of the National Housing Federation i.e. someone with skills, training and relevant expertise.

Wolpertinger

YES!

Yes of course you're right -KC shouldn't have been funding private school as its really not their remit. Charities funding private/boarding school is ok in principle but not in this case.

That was David Orr on last week's Any Questions Wolpertinger. He was an absolute stand out in terms of lucidity and knowledge. Did you also notice that another panel member, the empty bladder on a stick James Delingpole, was ranting about how much time and effort was being wasted these days by people listening to experts?

I loved David Orr particularly as I tuned in halfway through and he sounds like David Tennant so when they called him David, I thought he actually was David Tennant

He was possibly the most intelligent person I've ever heard on a panel show. James Delingpole clearly thinks he is a deep thinker but had all the depth a sophistication of a puddle.

lulu I totally agree with you.

I was talking to my dad about some of the articles I have read. If KC was aware of children who were carers they should have been referred to social services. Those kids are so neglected and are often excellent at hiding what is going on. DH and I donate to the boys and girls club here in Newark, NJ and they have a specialist unit that helps SS here identify children in carer roles. As soon as they are identified they are referred. They do offer programs to support like KC did but it's in conjunction with SS support.

Well then it should have be made quite clear that sending children to private schools was one of Kids Company's aims. I don't think that was ever mentioned. I wonder how they decided which ones would benefit from this. What were the criteria. Being the daughter of a company employee.

Viviennemary: "I wonder how they decided which ones would benefit from this. What were the criteria. Being the daughter of a company employee."

Well, quite. I can see that for a child from a very deprived background with neglectful parents, going to boarding school would be a fantastic opportunity, if an expensive one. But the daughter of an organisation's employee? Come on - that's clearly not the sort of child they're supposed to be helping.

It sounds like the big thing missing was transparency. If CB liked you, you got handouts (eg school fees, techno toys). If she didn't, she wouldn't speak to you. A fiefdom.

The boarding school fees thing is age old and even local authorities are allowed to do this - vital in isolated areas such as the Scottish Islands, for example. Also happens for special schools and occasionally schools with particular 1-2 year dyslexia programmes for kids who absolutely can't learn in mainstream schools until they have had highly specialist input. It's rare, though, and a postcode lottery. They also send some kids to state boarding schools in particular cases of serious family breakdown when it's considered preferable to f/t fostering.

My state school had a boarding wing.

Surely there is a difference between an education authority deciding to send a child to a specialist or state boarding school and absorbing the extra cost ... And a private charity getting government funding and spending some of it sending some children to private fee-paying boarding school?

It's actually really depressing isn't it.

Anyway, in answer to the OP - you were well as truly taken in by her slick act. As were thousands of others.

YY BoffinMum Child neglect is classless. You wouldnt know that by what is presented in the media though.

Im on another thread debating about school uniforms There is a teacher posting on there saying how its only £300 pounds etc. When institutions show a lack of understanding towards what people/parents on a low income are going through then of course ppl are going to be so relieved when someone shows OR appears to show them understanding. Like it or not the demonization of ppl on low incomes (even the narrative around working tax credits has changed over the last few years) the cult of celebrity being used as a distraction has fed into this and created the perfect climate for it.

I think what she set out to do was great KC have done some great work

What she has become is not so great like many with power her ego drove her decisions KC is not about her it's bigger than her but she seemed unable to let go of total control and it became about her

I am also wary of people hiding behind a persona like a clown you are distracted by their look and act not that I think she herself was harming anyone but she was well aware that she was not running KC as it should have been

Great people are capable of doing things that are not so good likewise people who want to harm others at times do things that are good for others but by putting her on a pedestal claiming her greatness is making her a flawless character she is not, no one is and she had to answer for the mistakes she has made

I teach children from very deprived backgrounds in Sunderland- from amongst the most deprived post codes in the country. We get approx £4000 from the government for their education. Our school uniform costs £40 max for sweatshirt, white polo shirt x2, trousers x 2 from Asda. We have to provide that uniform for some. Our Headteacher earns less than £90,000 a year- well less. He pays his own expenses for everything- would not dream of claiming petrol for example on school business, pays for his lunches in the canteen even though he works all lunchtime. He knows that any money he claims comes from the funding we get for children.

How CB can justify taking a £90,000+ salary, having a company car and a chauffeur on £40,000 a year and then paying to send his daughter to a private school, all from charity funds given for the most deprived children is beyond my comprehension. The government have given her 7.2million since April this year, and on 1st August the chaity had no money. WTF! This woman dispenses largesse with no sense of propriety or accountability. It is all about her.

It is immoral and reprehensible. She should be ashamed.

And still the luvvies are not listening. Now Chris Martin and Coldplay are trying to help her start up again with funding. They should get themselves up to the north-east and help the kids up here in the bit of England London just forgets about rather than feeding CB's huge ego.

Please God we are not also paying for her wardrobe! That in itself should be tellng the world she has appalling judgement.

Please God we are not also paying for her wardrobe! That in itself should be tellng the world she has appalling judgement.*

It's not on to make pass remarkable comments about someone's appearance, but, that made me proper chuckle.

I agree with you, Lulu. I can't understand why so MUCH money was poured into a charity which served such very few areas. Bizarre.

The North DOES get neglected. Some seem to think the world begins and ends in London.

It annoys me as I am a trustee of the CAB and we really suffer from lack of funding no matter how careful we are. My CAB is running a deficit budget this year, if this carries on we'll be closed in no more than three years time.

It sounds like Coldplay are saving a part of KC independently of CB. Specifically theTreehouse centre that they actually own the premises of. CB is saying that a philanthropist has come forward wanting to rescue KC as a whole, but she hasn't named them.

The government have given her 7.2million since April this year

Some quite disturbing articles on buzzfeed:

www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/witnesses-allege-sexual-abuse-violence-and-drug-crimes-at-ki

Horrible allegations regarding staff taking drugs with children, sexual assaults, staff watching pornographic videos of clients. Overt homophobia and racism. CB refused to report a serious assault by a client to police and he went on to murder someone. It really seems like some horrific stuff wash happening there and potentially it was harming some children more than helping them.

If these sex abuse claims turn out to be true, CB is no better than the people who covered up Rotherham.