Presidents Club: Great Ormond Street to return cash from all-male charity gala where guests 'groped' hostesses

Disgusted charities vow to refuse any donations from Presidents Club Trust

Charities have said they will return donations they received from the President Club Charitable Trust after allegations of sexual harassment at a fundraising event, saying they are "disgusted" by the reports.

Senior businessmen at an all-male charity dinner organised by the Trust groped and propositioned women hostesses who were told to wear “black sexy shoes” and black underwear, it was claimed.

Undercover Financial Times reporters said they witnessed the behaviour at the annual President’s Club event in London’s Dorchester Hotel Thursday night.

The black-tie event, attended by 360 figures from business, politics and finance, allegedly included auction lots involving a free lapdance at a Soho club and plastic surgery that could be used to “add spice to your wife”.

The FT alleged: “According to the accounts of multiple women working that night, groping and similar abuse was seen across many of the tables in the room.

“Hostesses reported men repeatedly putting hands up their skirts; one said an attendee had exposed his penis to her during the evening.”

The Presidents Club Charitable Trust was founded 32 years ago to raise money for underprivileged children, and has made donations to numerous children's charities over the last 10 years, including Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

Following the reports, a spokesperson for Great Ormond Street Hospital said: “We are shocked to hear of the behaviour reported at the Presidents Club Charitable Trust fundraising dinner. We would never knowingly accept donations raised in this way.

“We have had no involvement in the organisation of this event, nor did we attend and we were never due to receive any money from it.

“All monies raised in our name go to support vital work. However, due to the wholly unacceptable nature of the event we are returning previous donations and will no longer accept gifts from the Presidents Club Charitable Trust.”

A UCLH Charity spokesperson meanwhile said: “University College Hospital Cancer Fund (a discretionary fund within UCLH Charity) received a one-off donation of £5,000 from the Presidents Club Charitable Trust in 2015.

"We have decided to return this money, as we do not wish to be associated with the kind of behaviour which reportedly took place at their annual fundraising dinner last week, and we will no longer accept gifts from this charity in future.”

Tom Dixon, head of Philanthropy at disability charity Scope, which has accepted a £500 donation from the trust in 2015, said: “We are appalled and disgusted by the behaviour uncovered at this event.

“As an organisation one of our guiding principles is everyday equality, and we apply that to all areas of our work. The Presidents Club made a single donation to us of £500 in 2015, towards one of our special schools.

“We will not apply for or accept any further donations from the Presidents Club.”

A Barnardo’s spokesperson said: “This reported appalling behaviour is unacceptable and totally at odds with the highest ethical standards and values championed by Barnardo’s in treating all people equally and with respect.

“We welcome a full and prompt investigation into what happened and look forward to seeing appropriate action taken.”

Other high-profile charities that have received donations from the trust include the NSPCC and the Sick Children's Trust. The Independent has requested a response from these charities as to whether they intend to continue accepting donations.

Responding to the allegations, Unite the Union, Britain and Ireland's biggest trade union, called for the Government to "immediately reinstate" the third party harassment provision that were scrapped from the Equality Act in 2013.

Unite's national officer for the not for profit sector Siobhan Endean said: “The sleazy and disgraceful events that occurred at the Presidents Club charity dinner at the Dorchester Hotel will be all too familiar to people working throughout the hospitality industry.

“Everyone involved in this event including the hotel, the agency that recruited the hostesses, the companies who purchased tables and the men who attended the event need to take a long hard look at themselves and ask is this behaviour acceptable in the 21st Century?

Senior businessmen at an all-male charity dinner organised by the Trust reportedly groped and propositioned women hostesses who were told to wear “black sexy shoes” and black underwear (screen grab/FT)

“The events at the Dorchester once again underline why it is imperative that the third party harassment provisions which were axed by the Conservatives from the Equality Act must be immediately reinstated.

Ms Endean said the axing of the third party provisions had allowed employers to "ignore" harassment on employees by customers, saying it effectively gave customers a free pass to sexually harass hospitality workers.

She also called on the Charity Commission to launch an urgent investigation into the Presidents Club, adding: "Unite has members at some of the charities which have received grants from the Presidents Club and who are horrified by the circumstances through which the money was raised.”

The charity dinner has been condemned by MPs including the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson who reacted to the allegations by saying the FT’s report showed that “a rotten, sexist culture is still alive and kicking in parts of the business community.”

The President’s Club charitable trust, which said the event raised millions of pounds for disadvantaged children, said it was “appalled by the allegations of bad behaviour” and pledged to investigate.

When contacted by The Independent, a spokesman for Artista provided the same statement as that provided by the Presidents Club.

The Dorchester Hotel told the FT it had a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment of guests or employees.

In a statement, the hotel said: “We are unaware of any allegations and should we be contacted we will work with the relevant authorities as necessary.”