The founder of Kids Company charity Camila Batmanghelidjh has died.
The 61-year-old was known for setting up the high-profile charity, which operated in Liverpool, Bristol and London, helping disadvantaged children. Her work earned her the nickname the "Angel of Peckham" for supporting youngsters in deprived areas of East London, Mirror Online reports.
In a statement issued by her family on Tuesday, they said: "It is with great sadness that the family of Camila Batmanghelidjh announce her passing. She died peacefully in her sleep the night of 1 January, following a birthday celebration with her family.
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"Camila dedicated her life to advocating for Britain’s most vulnerable children. She was the founder of two ground-breaking charities, Place2Be and Kids Company, which pioneered new therapeutic and clinical models to achieve a singular goal: ‘To see children and young people become safe and able to realise their potential.’"
Camila founded the charity in 1996 in south London to support deprived and vulnerable children and young people living in cities. The Iranian-Belgian social justice campaigner was forced to step down in 2015 following allegations of financial mismanagement but she was later cleared of wrongdoing.
Later that year, the charity collapsed following unsubstantiated reports of sexual abuse.
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