BAE forced to drop charity link
Josh | 11.01.2010 11:21 | Anti-militarism | Iraq
BAE workers helping the troops
After a determined campaign by Action against Arms Trade (AaAT) Sue Ryder Care has been forced to drop BAE Systems as one of its corporate sponsors.
Sue Ryder Care only signed up BAE in 2008. At the time, Dick Olver, Chairman of BAE Systems, said: “We are pleased to welcome Sue Ryder Care as our new UK Charity Challenge partner. The partnership reinforces our commitment to giving money, time and equipment to the communities in which we work. Since we began our Charity Challenge employees fundraising scheme in 1989 BAE Systems’ employees have raised over £41 million.”
It is quite absurd that a company such as BAE which makes its money by producing equipment that kills people should pretend that it is committed to the ‘community’. At least its US wing had no problems – its website boasts that as part of its commitment to the community BAE employees helped serve meals, not to homeless people but as a ‘send-off’ before they went to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan (see picture).
AAT will shortly be announcing its next target for activists who want to adopt a more ‘hands-on’ approach to anti-arms trade campaigning.
And why not (politely, of course) let BAE’s charity co-ordinators know what you think about their antics:
Kim Phipps
Global Charity Challenge Campaign Leader (UK, Rest of the World)
Tel: +44(0) 1252 383236
Email:
kim.phipps@baesystems.com
Tracy Green
National Coordinator - Charity Challenge Australia
Tel: +61 (0)884 807 274
Email: tracy.green@baesystems.com
Laura Nadeau
National Coordinator - Charity Challenge US
Tel: +1 (0)763 572 5919
Email: Laura.Nadeau@baesystems.com
ActionAgainstArmsTrade (at) Googlemail.com
Sue Ryder Care only signed up BAE in 2008. At the time, Dick Olver, Chairman of BAE Systems, said: “We are pleased to welcome Sue Ryder Care as our new UK Charity Challenge partner. The partnership reinforces our commitment to giving money, time and equipment to the communities in which we work. Since we began our Charity Challenge employees fundraising scheme in 1989 BAE Systems’ employees have raised over £41 million.”
It is quite absurd that a company such as BAE which makes its money by producing equipment that kills people should pretend that it is committed to the ‘community’. At least its US wing had no problems – its website boasts that as part of its commitment to the community BAE employees helped serve meals, not to homeless people but as a ‘send-off’ before they went to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan (see picture).
AAT will shortly be announcing its next target for activists who want to adopt a more ‘hands-on’ approach to anti-arms trade campaigning.
And why not (politely, of course) let BAE’s charity co-ordinators know what you think about their antics:
Kim Phipps
Global Charity Challenge Campaign Leader (UK, Rest of the World)
Tel: +44(0) 1252 383236
Email:
kim.phipps@baesystems.com Tracy Green
National Coordinator - Charity Challenge Australia
Tel: +61 (0)884 807 274
Email:
tracy.green@baesystems.com Laura Nadeau
National Coordinator - Charity Challenge US
Tel: +1 (0)763 572 5919
Email:
Laura.Nadeau@baesystems.com ActionAgainstArmsTrade (at) Googlemail.com
Josh
e-mail:
ActionAgainstArmsTrade (at) Googlemail.com
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
Brilliant news!
11.01.2010 11:45
A great victory!
Anon
Story is true
11.01.2010 14:55
AJ
Relationship between BAE Systems and Sue Ryder Care
12.01.2010 09:35
We are grateful to BAE Systems and their staff for completing a most valuable relationship with dignity and style.
Eric Grounds, Director of Fundraising, Sue Ryder Care
Eric Grounds
e-mail:
Eric.grounds@suerydercare.org
Homepage:
http://www.suerydercare.org
The Sue Ryder vision of dignity and style
12.01.2010 10:11
Eric Grounds, Director of Fundraising, Sue Ryder Care
fukthearmstrade
So, how much does SUE RYDER CARE?
12.01.2010 10:20
What does Eric Grounds earn for courting killers?
fukbusinessmodelcharities
Economic with the truth
17.01.2010 07:58
Sue Ryder Care went into a relationship with BAE Systems because one of his mates worked for the company. We were promised “millions” but it only delivered £400,000 – a lot, granted, but nothing like the amount that a large company could provide if it wanted to. Of course, if instead of raising money for genuine charities its ‘charitable’ work extends to feeding US troops before they fly off into battle, it is perhaps understandable why it failed to do so.
Anti-arms trade activists should be congratulated for confronting Sue Ryder Care on this issue and, hopefully, will hound other charities who dare to form a relationship with BAE Systems.
AJ
Well done
17.01.2010 17:28
Anon
Sue Ryder Care censorship
17.01.2010 18:19
In the letter (which still exists in Google cache) he said that he “cannot resist the opportunity to express the delight of the whole team at Sue Ryder Care over our partnership with BAE Systems. There is a real sense of excitement coursing through the entire Charity”.
He said that Sue Ryder Care “see this relationship as a big deal and we want to give it every chance of success. In our terms, success means that it must be as good for BAE Systems as it is for Sue Ryder Care. We are brimming with enthusiasm, ideas and commitment”.
Anon