Veterans fundraising firm We R Blighty warned by police and banned by Morrisons

Veterans fundraising firm We R Blighty warned by police and banned by Morrisons



Posted by theipaper

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  1. A controversial company raising money to help homeless [military veterans](https://inews.co.uk/topic/military-veterans?srsltid=AfmBOopB2b-CTNDnyWXts2TOxEgj8C618Aef6KRM460svc7sHx_Afrzb&ico=in-line_link) has been warned by police and local councils for [fundraising ](https://inews.co.uk/topic/fundraising?srsltid=AfmBOopySIUHAQXNEI-2JDNuo4XRHPHxaXKr9m4wJqTqbjR3KBTZIWvh&ico=in-line_link)without permission on high streets and at railway stations.

    We R Blighty, a community interest company (CIC), has also been banned by the supermarket chain Morrisons from collecting cash from shoppers inside its stores.

    Members of the Kent-based organisation, which is not a registered [charity](https://inews.co.uk/topic/charities?srsltid=AfmBOoo_ZFL-tTR5gsqlsPfLtvUZkuvO9Q83DZz5bPFJhPzllX0ErJ0q&ico=in-line_link), have become common sights appealing for donations outside busy stations across London, including Waterloo, Finsbury Park and High Street Kensington.

    Yet they do not hold any licences to do this – [meaning their activities are potentially illegal](https://inews.co.uk/news/aggressive-firms-mislead-public-charitable-donations-3592149?ico=in-line_link).

    *The i Paper* revealed in November that the group is [under investigation by Kent Police over suspected fraud](https://inews.co.uk/news/crime/cash-collections-homeless-veterans-probe-3367685?ico=in-line_link), as well as by the Fundraising Regulator over the alleged aggressive behaviour of its street teams.

    Both investigations remain under way. We R Blighty denies any wrongdoing.

    Its founder, former soldier Ben Mills, claims to be the victim of a smear campaign by online groups, leading to him and his partner being “harassed”. He maintains that his colleagues do not intimidate the public.

    He argues that the public supports his work “because they want veterans off the streets”. We R Blighty directly funds temporary accommodation in hotels, meaning it “helps veterans in a way that others can’t”.

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