Charity fundraiser ‘caused problems’

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 8

Charity fundraiser ‘caused problems’

PA Auckland A businessman being investigated by the police over fundraising for sick children is also understood to have caused problems for three other charities, the New Zealand “Herald” reports. Involvement with one charity led to his being reported to and receiving a warning from the Commerce Commission. Mr Anthony Philpot, who disappeared on Thursday, is now in his home country, England. He is estimated to have

sold first-aid kits worth at least $165,000, of which at least $19,000 belonged to the charity K.1.D.5., set up to help youngsters suffering from immune deficiency syndrome. The charity has so far received only $2300, while at least $2898 is owed to sales people employed by Mr Philpot’s company, Appel Promotion Services. Yesterday, after a report appeared in the Auckland press, Mr Philpot telephoned Mrs Louise Carroll, president of K.I.D.S. and mother of

two children suffering from the illness. "He told me he was calling from a coin box in England but would not give me an address,” she said. “He said he had had no intention of conning either the doctors or the charity, but he had to leave the country in a hurry.” She said he had made a "spurious gesture” towards paying some of the money. Yesterday, Auckland branches of the Salvation Armv Cnt Bpath <Ji>nnnrt

Group and Make A Wish Foundation told how they had terminated agreements with Mr Philpot. In October last year he contacted a legitimate business which successfully raises money for the cot death group by selling pen sets. The president, Mr John Davidson, said that while the business manager was overseas for four weeks Mr Philpot temporarily moved his company into its offices. “Without authority he conducted a $2OOO ‘trial’ of selling writing sets us-

ing our name. “We have strict guidelines on what sales people can say, and these were not followed, as he was using people in their own homes. “It caused a lot of problems for us with plenty of people ringing up to query it, although we weren’t aware of exactly what was going on,” Mr Davidson said. “When the manager returned he immediately threw him out and kindly honoured the commission due to us on Mr Philpot’s sales.”