Two major charities have been taken to court by a business owner over a cancelled fundraising event.
Amanda Navaian, who founded handbag brand Marici London, has claimed that her business collapsed after the King Charles III Charitable Fund and food surplus charity FareShare withdrew from an event in June 2024.
Navaian volunteered to organise a third-party fundraiser with proceeds going to FareShare as part of the King Charles III Charitable Fund’s Coronation Food Project, the charities said.
The fundraiser never happened and Navaian subsequently sought over £6m in damages from the charities, alleging in the High Court that the “last-minute cancellation” resulted in her business falling apart, the Telegraph reported this week.
A spokesperson for FareShare and the Coronation Food Project told Civil Society that the venue cancelled the booking.
“Unfortunately, this fundraiser never took place due to a breakdown in the relationship between Ms Navaian, FareShare and the proposed venue for the dinner,” they said.
Charities ask for claims to be ‘struck out’
Navaian and Marici London are suing FareShare for breach of contract, misrepresentation and “unlawful interference” in their economic relations, according to the Telegraph.
The court heard that Marici London’s “entire eco-system fell apart” and that Navaian lost a potential £1m in sales during launch week.
“The result of the cancellation led to me not being able to work for a very long time and caused me loss,” Navaian told the court, according to the Telegraph.
King Charles III Charitable Fund and FareShare issued a joint response to deny the allegations.
“We have been working hard to understand Ms Navaian’s concerns for over a year and it is regrettable that she continues to make these unfounded allegations,” a spokesperson for the charities said.
“We have asked the court to have these claims struck out.”
The case is ongoing.
Civil Society has approached Navaian for comment.
