We R Blighty Scam on Lordship Lane

[Monkey_vs_Robot]

Currently setting up outside M&S on Lordship Lane.

Def not a charity and known to be very aggressive to anyone who questions them.

https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/about-fundraising/resources/we-r-blighty-community-interest-company-november-2025

Be careful with them. 

 

[Sue]

4 minutes ago, Monkey_vs_Robot said:

Currently setting up outside M&S on Lordship Lane.

Def not a charity and known to be very aggressive to anyone who questions them.

https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/about-fundraising/resources/we-r-blighty-community-interest-company-november-2025

Be careful with them. 

 

When you say "scam", do you mean that the money collected is not going to where they say it is?

[Monkey_vs_Robot]

6 minutes ago, Sue said:

When you say "scam", do you mean that the money collected is not going to where they say it is?

From the Fundraising regulator link:

"we concluded that it was more likely than not that donors could have been misled by confusing messaging or fundraising materials. This includes materials suggesting a link with a well-known national veterans’ charity, which the CIC has since confirmed it does not work with. We were also concerned about the costings in some of the fundraising materials that the CIC could not show good enough evidence for. There was also enough information available for us to conclude on balance that some fundraisers for the CIC acted in an aggressive and unprofessional way towards both potential donors and public officials."  

Some of the money may make it to the people they say but there are better ways to support veterans 

[Sue]

4 minutes ago, Monkey_vs_Robot said:

From the Fundraising regulator link:

"we concluded that it was more likely than not that donors could have been misled by confusing messaging or fundraising materials. This includes materials suggesting a link with a well-known national veterans’ charity, which the CIC has since confirmed it does not work with. We were also concerned about the costings in some of the fundraising materials that the CIC could not show good enough evidence for. There was also enough information available for us to conclude on balance that some fundraisers for the CIC acted in an aggressive and unprofessional way towards both potential donors and public officials."  

Some of the money may make it to the people they say but there are better ways to support veterans 

Yes I saw that.

I'm not intending to give them money!

I just wonder why, if they are actually collecting money under false pretences (rather than not having gone through the proper channels) they have not been prosecuted?

[march46]

Definitely not a charity, but a for-profit community interest company (CIC). 
https://www.londoncentric.media/p/we-r-blighty-fundraising-regulator-criticism-broke-rules

[Jenijenjen]

There's been a previous thread about them here in April

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/360001-warning-we-r-blighty-outside-ms/#comment-1703274

and a second one in September

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/367417-‘we-r-blighty’-outside-ms/#comment-1721150

where I posted  ",,, they have been found guilty and fined for illegal street trading and collections in June in the City of London.

https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/we-r-blighty-pleads-guilty-of-illegal-street-trading-and-collections-in-the-city/ "

 

Edited 11 hours ago by Jenijenjen

[Monkey_vs_Robot]

Apologies for for the duplicate thread - I got their name wrong and searched for 'We Are Blighty' so the previous threads didn't show up. 

[Kesc]

Can confirm that they are extremely unpleasant, shouted abuse at me as I warned an OAP not to hand over her cash and then targetted me again as I left M&S. 

[BenOnThePark]

Hi all, just wanted to highlight that We R Blighty have a stall outside Lordship Lane ?M&S today. Despite appearances, they are NOT a registered charity for veterans - they are a 'community interest company' who are apparently under investigation by the fundraising regulator, and are also being investigated by Kent Police for 'financial irregularities'.

Please don't engage with them, give them money or your details. If you want to support veterans, the Royal British Legion are a much better option

[satsuma]

Still there, I had a bit of a go at the guy there.

[Moonglum]

Similar deal to those Hive City guys who also camp outside of M&S, also a dodgy CIC rather than a charity 

[alice]

Are you saying all CICs are dodgy? I think that’s totally unfair.

[Insuflo]

There was good item on Radio 4’s consumer affairs programme You &Yours on 1st December. It was about these CIC fund raising scams and refers to this We R Blighty mob in particular (they have been successfully prosecuted twice and fined for their activities in the City of London).
Also mentioned the “knife crime charity” lot who also show up in ED. The advice was to give them nothing and that they are breaking the law.

It’s on the BBC Sounds app or via this link  (the item starts at 41m51s in):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002n065 
 

 

10 minutes ago, alice said:

Are you saying all CICs are dodgy? I think that’s totally unfair.

I think you know perfectly well that is not what the poster is saying. There are a lot of CICs (there are now 37,000 of them) that have been set up specifically to mislead the public into handing over money. This We R Blighty is one such.

These are the details of one of the cases against them in the City last month:

https://news.cityoflondon.gov.uk/we-r-blighty-told-to-pay-out-thousands-over-illegal-collections/

[Sue]

I know the police have other things to do, but couldn't they move these people on and/or arrest them if they are collecting money illegally and being aggressive?

Can't M&S do something?

[CPR Dave]

The staff in M and S have enough to deal with already. They are lovely people who work very hard at the jobs their employer asks them to do.

They shouldn't be put upon to also sort out things that the council or the police really ought to be on top of.