Veterans fundraiser 'could have misled donors'

A veterans fundraising company could have confused people giving donations, a watchdog has warned

A veterans fundraising company could have confused people giving donations, with some fundraisers accused of acting aggressively and unprofessionally, a report has found.

We R Blighty, a community interest company supporting homeless veterans, was found to have breached Fundraising Regulator standards, the watchdog said.

The company, based in Broadstairs in Kent, was also found to not have the correct permission to fundraise on the street.

A spokesperson for the company questioned the allegations of aggression but apologised "if anyone had come across in an aggressive manner", adding it had put a "renewed focus on ethical and transparent fundraising".

In the report, published on Wednesday, the Fundraising Regulator found it was "more than likely" donors could have been misled by fundraising materials, including suggested links to a "well-known national veterans' charity" which We R Blighty confirmed it does not work with.

The report also raised concerns that some fundraisers had "acted in an aggressive and unprofessional manner" towards potential donors and public officials.

'Misleading the public'

We R Blighty, which fundraises in London and the South East, admitted three counts of unauthorised street trading and three counts of collecting money or selling articles without a proper permit at City of London Magistrates' Court in June.

Gerald Oppenheim, chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator, said its investigation "uncovered serious breaches of the Code of Fundraising Practice, including inappropriate fundraiser behaviour, an inadequate complaints process, and misleading the public".

We R Blighty has accepted the watchdog's findings and is implementing its recommendations, including reviewing its training and creating a complaints procedure, the report added.

Ben Mills, head of operations at We R Blighty, says the company has now changed the way it fundraises, selling its own magazine instead of asking for donations.

He added: "We are going to ensure that we meet the criteria the Funding Regulator has asked for and make sure we adhere to every code of conduct required."