Britain's best known domestic violence charity is in turmoil over the appointment of a woman who runs a weapons technology company as its new chairman.
The senior management team at Refuge are demanding the resignation of Hetti Barkworth-Nanton over her role as chief executive of a Ministry of Defence spin-off company that has developed silent ammunition, hand grenades and a new type of explosive.
In a whistle-blowing letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, senior Refuge staff warned that her appointment would damage the “reputation and financial well-being” of the charity.
Mrs Barkworth-Nanton is the chief executive of Ploughshare Innovations Ltd, based at Porton Down in Wiltshire, which sells “defence and security technologies” developed in MoD laboratories.
Refuge staff say her involvement in the arms trade is incompatible with a domestic violence charity that abhors violence.
They also accuse her of not being a feminist and of trying to “impose radical change” on a charity “at the height of its reputation”.
In a private report, seen by The Telegraph, Dame Stella Rimington, the former MI5 head and a former Refuge trustee, criticised its board for appointing Mrs Barkworth-Nanton without making “more effort to keep the management team on side” and failing to appreciate the extent of the risk caused.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/11/staff-revolt-non-feminist-weapons-firm-boss-hired-run-domestic/
(Dont have access to entire article but am gob smacked not just by the new Chair being CEO of an arms firm but that Stella Rimington MI5 also involved. Pot? kettle?)