Charity trust behind men-only dinner shuts after groping scandal
A CHARITABLE trust that held a controversial men only dinner where hostesses were reportedly groped has said it will not host any further fundraising events.
The Presidents Club said it will distribute remaining funds to children’s charities before closing.
In a statement the organisation said: “The trustees have decided that the Presidents Club will not host any further fundraising events. Remaining funds will be distributed in an efficient manner to children’s charities and it will then be closed.”
Earlier, businessman David Meller, Presidents Club trustee and co-chairman of the annual dinner at London’s Dorchester Hotel, quit his role at the Mayor’s Fund for London.
It comes as charities, including Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, that have benefited from the £20m raised by the Presidents Club over more than 30 years said they will refund previous donations in the wake of the allegations.
Education Minister Anne Milton told MPs Mr Meller was also quitting as non-executive director of the DfE board following the reports.
A spokesman for the Mayor’s Fund for London, which supports disadvantaged young people, said the organisation had not been a beneficiary of or had any involvement with the Presidents Club.
Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi also attended but “found the event extremely uncomfortable” and left early, Ms Milton said.
Mr Zahawi tweeted: “I do unequivocally condemn this behaviour. The report is truly shocking. I will never attend a men only function ever.”
Items at the auction included lunch with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, a trip to the Windmill strip club in Soho and plastic surgery “to spice up your wife”. It is understood that Mr Johnson did not agree to support the event and will not be taking part in the lunch that was auctioned to guests.
Leading figures in business, David Meller and Anne Milton politics and finance attended the event hosted by comedian and children’s author David Walliams, who is not the subject of any allegations.
Mr Walliams said in a statement that he attended “in a strictly professional capacity” and “did not witness any of the kind of behaviour that allegedly occurred”, adding that he was “absolutely appalled”.
Financial Times reporter Madison Marriage, who went undercover as part of the paper’s investigation into the event, told BBC Newsnight: “I was groped several times and I know that there are numerous other hostesses who said the same thing had happened to them.
“It’s hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.”
She added: “I can’t believe that it still goes on in 2018, I think it’s quite shocking.”
Hostesses were allegedly told to wear black underwear and “sexy” black shoes for their shift.
One woman, aged in her 20s, who waitressed at the event told ITV News she became concerned that some of the men there “were treating them like sex workers”.
She added: “We were playthings. We were objects for them to gawp at, touch.”
The Charity Commission said it was looking into the allegations “as a matter of urgency”.
The Presidents Club earlier said it was “appalled” by the allegations and vowed to investigate claims of “bad behaviour”.