Kids company - what a cock up!

[Northernlurker]

So I understand from the bbc that kc got the three million they were waiting for and which was given to support restructuring of the charity and promptly spent 800 grand of it on the months salary bill! What on earth were they thinking? Looks like it's totally done for now.

Zandra Rhodes and Russell Brand aren't funded by the government or altruistic donors, though.

But surely if an organisation is receiving large amounts of government money, that's more reason to be sure its finances are in order, not less.

Anyway I suppose my point was just that I don't see how its leader being colourfully dressed and clearly a bit unconventional is seen as some kind of valid argument for government not being willing to subject the charity to any useful checks.

I don't actually think she's ridiculous for that reason, as I strongly support anyone wearing whatever they like. It's more that I'm seeing headlines like "Cameron 'mesmerised' by flamboyant CB". I think that's a shameful excuse for letting something like this happen.

"Cameron 'mesmerised' by flamboyant CB".

Last time it was Rebecca Brooks whose flamboyance mesmerised Cameron. He should be more careful how he chooses his friends.

BBC are now claiming closure of KC has been confirmed by CB.

twitter.com/lucymanning/status/628939215213056001

I suspect that the post mortem is going to be ugly, for those who retain enough interest to watch. There will probably be quite a lot of score settling in the third sector; one suspects that CB has made quite a lot of enemies.

Cameron was always going to be perfectly happy to hand over a difficult job to some noisy, attention-seeking NGO type. He could look good for no effort and then (in his view) dump her when it all came unravelled. Blair would have been the same - another ego-tripping conman, so he would have thought CB was as wonderful as she insisted she is, too. Just like him...

But it's not as if KC was officially responsible for social work for underprivileged kids across the entire country. He didn't hand over that job, it was still a state responsibility.

Totally agree with SolidGold.

Always thought CB was like a jazzy, self styled guru of utter bullshit.

I agree with sgb too

Not before time! I've just heard that ridiculous woman Batmanwhotsit biting the hand that feeds her on PM. A ridiculous amount of government money, which can barely be accounted for, was made available to her. Typical bleeding heart libera,l happy to blame anyone else but herself and her appalling leadership and management. She has got her just desserts - good riddance.

SC: One that he was happy to ignore because Wonderful Camilla was wonderfully picking up the pieces... Even though she was being handed enormous amounts of money, it was cheaper than funding proper social services...

There have to be major questions about their governance. How they ended up unable to pay staff is . Where has the money been going?!?

I agree with SGB too.

Its all very very sad though.

It's very sad that so much money (and indeed effort and skill) which could have helped kids in trouble has been wasted. If you can't evidence your outcomes, you don't have outcomes.

Oh good grief - just seen the statement on the KC website here

The FAQ includes 'What will happen to Camila Batmanghelidjh'

and the reason for closure is given as 'This year, however, Kids Company found that previous levels of funding did not materialise and in order to continue delivering its successful and effective services, the charity planned to restructure to a level that could be supported by a lower annual turnover. It sought funds to restructure from government and a group of philanthropic donors, but as a result of serious as yet unsubstantiated allegations against the charity, it was unable to meet its ongoing liabilities.'

So all the fault of those making the 'allegations' then? Really?

According to Camila, the government required her to step down for the £3m, but the "philanthropists" (who are these people?) wouldn't pay out unless she stayed.

So apparently it was a rock and a hard place

Dodgy. As. Fuck.

Agree with SGB.

Sadly I am not surprised by this metropolitan elite madness and moderniser Cameron. Public taxpayer money used like this instead of for NHS operations and the like. Shameful, but that is how we are run.

wonder who the accountable people are for the missing (?) money and who the accountants are!

I think it does raise questions about the challenge the trustees have (or haven't) made. They should have ensured outcomes were required and recorded. If that had been done the funding questions would never have come up.

'Vast sums of donor money were given out in packages, cash in hand, to children and young people, with no controls over how it was spent by them, some alleged. While it was at heart a force for good it was, at best, said to be an administrative and financial mess.

But nobody who knew dared go public.

Camila had friends in powerful places. Very powerful places. Her charity was a touchstone for celebrity philanthropists. The Prime Minister’s wife Samantha Cameron was a supporter and a fan — naming Camila as her Inspirational Woman Of The Year in the Mail five years ago.

Encouraged to get involved by the Prince’s Trust, the rock group Coldplay have donated £8 million over a number of years.

Other patrons included tycoon Richard Branson, author J. K. Rowling, socialite Jemima Khan and Sting’s wife Trudie Styler, as well as investment banks such as Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, retail giant John Lewis and Marlborough College, alma mater of the Duchess of Cambridge.

Alan Yentob, creative director of the BBC, is the Kids Company chairman.

And there was another discouraging factor for anyone close to the charity tempted to speak out. If challenged — and in private some dared — Camila could turn from sweet and twinkling to imperious and crushing in an instant. You really did not want to cross her."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3148999/Noble-ideals-troubling-questions-money-fall-Angel-Peckham-charity-funding-row-led-kids-company-boss-step-down.html

No real surprises in that lot. I'm just surprised any of it got out at all and the funding stream didn't continue, particularly the public taxpayer part.

There was someone from the bristol centre on the radio today who fudged Qs. She said the charity needed £23m this year and that due to the negative reporting and withdrawal of the Government money this could no longer be found and they had to close.

Surely no responsible senior manager of an organisation with a money problem would expand or continue to operate as if all was well , employ lots of people etc without having money in the bank or secure.

So if Alan Yentob is the Chair is he legally accountable for cash matters? (Not familiar with charity governance / legal responsibilities of trustees).

Wonder about the Charity Commission in all this too.

'Surely no responsible senior manager of an organisation with a money problem would expand or continue to operate as if all was well , employ lots of people etc without having money in the bank or secure.'

Banks did it. Luvvies bailed the banks out with taxpayer money. Seems that is how it works among the metropolitan elite.

Banks would be a whole other debate! Senior managers there were obviously not responsible types!

I guess I meant that the Kc person being interviewed from Bristol seemed to be blaming others rather than the senior team of which she's a part.

Yes, everyone is blaming everyone and there are questions about the authorisation of taxpayer money and the checks on how it was being spent. Everyone is hoping that the public won't spot the wood for the trees.