Sir Jimmy Savile
Trustees of two charities founded by the late broadcaster will also look at supporting charities that work with victims of abuse
Two charities set up by the broadcaster Sir Jimmy Savile are considering changing their names after allegations about him sexually abusing under-age girls came to light.
Trustees of The Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust and The Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust also said they were looking to support charities that work with survivors of sexual abuse.
All three trustees of the charitable trust are on the board of the Stoke Mandeville trust, which has one extra board member.
A growing number of people have come forward over the past week to say they were sexually assaulted by the late DJ, TV presenter and charity fundraiser.
In a statement released yesterday, the charities said trustees had been "contacted by a number of members of the public suggesting that they should change the charity's name and they are in the process of looking into this".
The statement continued: "The trustees have already committed to providing further funds to some of the causes the charity currently supports and they will be meeting soon to discuss how to best use the funds that remain at their disposal.
"They are actively looking at supporting, among others, charities that work with survivors of sexual abuse. They feel this is the right thing to do in the circumstances."
The charitable trust’s latest accounts filed with the Charity Commission show it had funds totalling £3.7m in 2011/12. It had an income of £132,546 and spent £43,866 in the same year.
The charity was registered in 1984 to support people with disabilities and the elderly.
The Stoke Mandeville charity has funds of £1.7m.
In 2011/12 it had an income of £13,496 and spent £7,749, which was down from £77,984 and £22,789 respectively in 2010/11.
Its purpose is to help people with disabilities through supporting the work of the hospital.
Savile died in October last year, aged 84. He was a presenter of Top of the Pops in the 1960s and later the popular children’s show Jim’ll Fix It. He was knighted in 1990 for his charity work.
Last week, ITV broadcast a programme about allegation of serious sexual assaults on under-age girls at the height of his fame.
