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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Local Waitrose supporting anti-abortion charity

230 replies

WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:00

Waitrose gives shoppers tokens to drop into collecting points to support local charities. My local Waitrose is currently supporting a 'pregnancy counselling service'. I checked the 'charity's' website, which has all the usual guff about offering 'impartial advice', then checked their parent company and discovered that it's run by these guys.

AIBU to think Waitrose should check the credentials of 'charities' before collecting on their behalf? I imagine there would be outrage if Waitrose openly supported a charity like Abortion Rights, whose name does what it says on the tin.

Have tried to contact someone at my local store, but relevant person is 'away until Wednesday'. Meanwhile the collection points will continue to operate and unwary shoppers will be supporting a 'charity' that is concealing its true agenda.

Have name changed for this, but am MN regular.

OP posts:
MaidOfStars · 27/10/2014 17:19

Why wouldn't they if the charity spends a great deal of time 'legitimising' themselves? Waitrose are (I suspect inadvertently) adding to their credibility.

Venticoffeecup · 27/10/2014 17:20

I'm speaking as someone who is anti-abortion.

I think it would be far better if Waitrose didn't support any charity which has a political agenda of some kind, particularly one which is as controversial as this. It's not really the place for it, is it. Why not stick to local charities that are very worthy but a bit more run of the mill?

I'm a bit surprised that this situation has arisen to be honest, you'd think they be a bit more careful and do a bit of research into what they are supporting. I think it's pretty naive, I thought the problems with these pregnancy 'counselling' services was pretty much common knowledge.

Mind you I've been boycotting Waitrose since a terrible customer service experience I had, but that's another issue!

ArsenicChaseScream · 27/10/2014 17:20

How do we find the tweet to RT?

sparechange · 27/10/2014 17:20

OP, can you tell us which branch it is, so we can also tweet about this?

It is really shocking.

RabidZombie · 27/10/2014 17:21

Good bit of detective work there OP and you are right to raise it with waitrose. I presume this was an error in someone not vetting the charity properly so they should hopefully sort it straight away.

mymummademelistentoshitmusic · 27/10/2014 17:23

It's such an emotive issue that neither side should be supported/promoted in this way.
I think maybe another big issue here though is like our old shoebox friends - the lack of clarity.

ArsenicChaseScream · 27/10/2014 17:23

Weren't the revolting sex abuse, breast cancer etc claims made one-to-one to pregnant women in 'counselling' sessions and covertly filmed?

Horrible abuse of the counselling relationship.

I doubt they'd be upfront about these methods at Spring Harvest.

Pipbin · 27/10/2014 17:24

I'll be interested to know what response you get. There have been protests against the centre in Cambridge.
feministactioncambridge.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/fact-sheet-feminist-action-cambridge-exposes-care-confidentials-crisis-pregnancy-centres-in-cambridgeshire/

Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:26

Yes, Venticoffee. Our usually supports local NSPCC, HomeStart, local hospices, animal charities, playgroups etc. Hopefully, all transparent, bona fide charities that do what they say they do, rather than hiding behind a 'parent company' that masquerades as an impartial counselling service.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:26

That should say 'our Waitrose usually supports...'

OP posts:
Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:27

Sparechange - it's Worthing branch (Worthing in Sussex not Norfolk!)

OP posts:
Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:28

I found this on the web.

OP posts:
NoArmaniNoPunani · 27/10/2014 17:32

That's my local waitrose. I'd boycott them if I could afford to shop there.

sparechange · 27/10/2014 17:33

Thanks OP for sharing the name of the branch
Sadly too far from me to actually go and make a complaint in person, but I'll be a social media warrior!

Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:33

Interesting link pipbin.

Horrid organisation.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:35

NoArmani Can't you go in there specifically to boycott them? Grin
I'm a regular shopper (of their 'essentials' cheap range mainly) but I'm really disappointed with them now.

OP posts:
NoArmaniNoPunani · 27/10/2014 17:36

Vote with your feet, lidl is just over the road

Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:39

NoArmani I can never get everything I need in Lidl. I shop on my way home from work - so quite late in the afternoon - and they often don't even have milk by then!
At least if Waitrose doesn't sharpen up its act, we have a massive choice of supermarkets in Worthing!

OP posts:
LynetteScavo · 27/10/2014 17:42

Well, people do get to vote.....it's not as though Waitrose have just decided to donate the money.

How popular were they with voters?

I wouldn't be putting my token in the box to vote for this charity, but then there are other charities which I also don't want to support, which wouldn't cause a storm if Waitrose chose to support them

jelliebelly · 27/10/2014 17:43

These are local charities supported by local stores - I would email head office and bring it to their attention - somebody will be in trouble for not checking out the credentials of this particular charity no doubt but does it really need a twitter campaign? Imagine if you are that person working in your local store who maybe made a quick decision and now find that their job might be at risk if twitter starts skating the waitrose brand??.

jelliebelly · 27/10/2014 17:43

"Slating" not "skating"

SevenZarkSeven · 27/10/2014 17:45

I would imagine that they don't realise the nature of what they have supported. I think they get bunches of nominations in, give them a quick glance to check they aren't obviously political etc and maybe check they are a registered charity and let it go. I think they change them every couple of weeks or so and they're local so it's going to be someone in the store sifting through.

So I would imagine that is what has happened rather than they are knowingly supporting this.

If I were you I would talk to them instore / write to head office and say why it's all wrong and suggest they pull it and split the money already raised between the other charities for that period.

I really can't imagine that they would knowingly & willingly get involved in such an enormously contentious issue. And it's not even like, who is it, Dominos or Disney or a company with a person at the helm with views they can push through their company, it's the Partnership thing so yikes I imagine a whole load of partners would be spitting too.

Let us know what happens I'm very inetrested.

ArsenicChaseScream · 27/10/2014 17:47

Shoppers need the full picture to vote in an informed way Lynette

Original poster
WaitroseSucks · 27/10/2014 17:51

alemci but are you upset because the charity is connected to a christian organisation whatever the charity supported.

Not really. Our local Waitrose often collects, for example, for Worthing Churches Homeless Project, and I have no objection to them supporting that. It's the nature of the so-called charity that I object to.

OP posts:
Dawndonnaagain · 27/10/2014 17:52

How popular were they with voters?
Irrelevant really.