A new foundation will carry forward the work of Camila Batmanghelidjh, who was a beloved advocate for vulnerable children and young people in Britain. Camila died peacefully at her home on New Year’s Day, her birthday, after a period of failing health.

The Camila Batmanghelidjh Foundation will advance Camila’s lifelong aim, which was “to see children and young people become safe and able to realise their potential.”

Working alongside devoted colleagues and dedicated volunteers, Camila changed the lives of tens of thousands of children and young people in London, Bristol, and Liverpool otherwise neglected by Britain’s broken child protection system.

The Camila Batmanghelidjh Foundation will pursue its mission by funding programmes that provide care to vulnerable children and young people, supporting research and advocacy on the clinical and social importance of “unrelenting love,” and empowering charities in Britain to adopt innovative approaches to child protection.

Anchored by a gift from the Batmanghelidjh family, the foundation will make grants while initially operating as a collective fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, a registered charity.

In 1996, Camila founded Kids Company, a pioneering charity that grew to provide essential services and care to 36,000 children and young people each year. In Camila’s words, by collectively embracing the power of love, “the staff of Kids Company and its children [were] able to create a community where children were cared for and cherished… That community structure produc[ed] positive results, not only for the children, but also for the staff.”

In a major 2013 study, researchers at the London School of Economics described the unique effectiveness of the Kids Company model, which provided the “actions and structures of support” necessary to “alter neural pathways and provide the opportunity for positive emotional and behavioural changes in vulnerable children and young people.”

Kids Company’s sensitive and effective approach to child protection proved highly influential, inspiring other charities, institutions, and even local authorities to think about child protection with a fuller appreciation for the complex needs of Britain’s vulnerable children and young people, who exhibit extraordinary courage in the face of deprivation and adversity.

In recognition of her contributions to therapeutic and social care interventions, Camila was awarded more than 20 national awards as well as 20 honorary degrees from universities across Britain. She was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2013 for her “services to children and young people.”

After Kids Company shut in 2015 and until her untimely death, Camila continued to work tirelessly from her small flat, counselling children and young people, fundraising for programmes and initiatives, and advising clinicians and charity leaders on how to have the greatest impact. Most recently, she had been advising Oasis Charitable Trust on the design and implementation of a therapeutic programme for its academy pupils.

In the same period, Camila took legal action to defend the staff, volunteers, and families associated with Kids Company in the wake of allegations of mismanagement at the charity which contributed to its closure in 2015.

In February 2023, the high court granted Camila permission to apply for judicial review of a Charity Commission report which made prejudicial and baseless claims of mismanagement. The Batmanghelidjh family is receiving legal advice on whether the judicial review can still be pursued to ensure the Charity Commission is held accountable for its adverse findings. The Camila Batmanghelidjh Foundation is dedicated to continuing Camila’s charitable activities and will not be involved in this litigation.

The foundation is led by Ardi Batmanghelidj, Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Michael Kerman, and Deepti Patel. The volunteer steering committee brings together extensive management, legal, and clinical expertise.

Ardi Batmanghelidj is chief executive of a software company. Esfandyar Batmanghelidj is chief executive of an economic think tank. Michael Kerman is child psychotherapist and the former Clinical Director at Kids Company. Deepti Patel qualified as a lawyer and was the former Head of Child Rights at Kids Company.

The Camila Batmanghelidj Foundation is making a public appeal for donations in memory of Camila’s colourful and impactful life. Funds raised will directly support vulnerable children, young people, and their families. Camila’s vital work remains unfinished. Donations can be made at (https://www.camilabatmanghelidjh.org).

Notes to Editors

Repose and Funeral Details

From 15 January to 19 January, Camila's body will lie in repose at FA Albin & Sons. All are welcome to visit her and to leave their messages of love and gratitude, including on the Wishing Tree. On 20 January, the funeral service will take place at 10:00 at Golders Green Crematorium. A service will also be held at the same time at the Oasis Church Waterloo, with a livestream from the funeral. Following the funeral service, the wake will be held at Oasis Church Waterloo beginning at 12:30. Friends and family attending the funeral at Golders Green will join the wake at Oasis Academy Southbank. Detailed information, including times and addresses, can be seen at: (https://www.camilabatmanghelidjh.org/funeral-details)

Media Contact

Esfandyar Batmanghelidj - yar@camilabatmanghelidjh.org

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