Local Waitrose supporting anti-abortion charity

[WaitroseSucks]

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, they replied to me on Twitter, and have replied to the thread on Facebook.
I've also emailed them asking them for their full statement and will let you know if I hear back.
I expect it will be the same as the cut and paste thing on their facebook page

YANBU.

It is possible that this charity have not been up front with Waitrose and it was a mistake.

Of course different people have different views. However, the description of the charity should clearly state who they are and should not be misleading. It would be equally dishonest If a pro-choice charity wasn't clear about who they were.

Apparently 'CARE', the people who founded this charity, also think that homosexuality can be cured by prayer.

I can't see anything on Facebook at all. I can see this on Twitter: The cause has provided assurances they’re impartial.
Well they (the 'charity') would say that, wouldn't they?
I would be interested in finding out more about the work they do with local schools, which they mention on their website. Does anyone have any knowledge of this?

Thanks, sparechange. Would be interested in the response they give you.

Waitrosesucks YANBU to challenge Waitrose about this. The anti-choice lot often hide their colours behind abortion counselling (nothing new) and tell outright, dangerous lies to vulnerable women. (The "abortion makes you a child-molestor" one is new to me!) I have no problem with an organisation being openly anti-choice, provided it acts within the law and doesn't prey on women trying to make one of the hardest decisions of their lives. Sadly, there are very few anti-choice groups whom I would trust, particularly having seen their behaviour outside clinics.

if a woman is considering termination why shouldn't she seek all points of view.

She should - but she should know the background of the people who are giving the advice and whether they have any 'pro-life' affiliation.

She should not wander in assuming that they are completely impartial because they were part of a Waitrose collection, and Waitrose are so trustworthy and honest. I honestly don't believe that this organisation intends to give impartial advice on abortion. That is their right. It is not their right to pretend to give impartial advice on abortion.

If you go to their facebook page, look on the left hand side and there is a box under the photos and maps called 'posts to page'

Click on that and scroll down, and there is a thread started by someone called Jo Casey which other people have replied to, and Waitrose has also commented on a few times with their stock statement...

"Through our Community Matters scheme every one of our 331 branches supports three local causes each month which customers can support by putting their green token in the box of their choice – in this way Waitrose Worthing donates £12,000 every year between 36 local causes that have been nominated by our customers and Partners.

Acorn Counselling are one of the local causes selected by customers and Partners. Customers have been able to support them in October, alongside Goring Ladies Cricket Club and Home Start Worthing and Adur, until 31st October, when three new causes for November will be available.

Acorn Counselling have provided their assurances that they offer a completely impartial service in the community. They have been in Worthing for almost two decades, are independently run and their volunteers are all trained and regularly supervised. It’s important to clarify that where a Wikipedia entry refers to Care Confidential this does not reflect the work of Acorn Counselling, which is not affiliated and is independent."

"It’s important to clarify that where a Wikipedia entry refers to Care Confidential this does not reflect the work of Acorn Counselling, which is not affiliated and is independent."

Wow! they must be really annoyed that when you google Acorn Counselling Worthing you get a Care Confidential website!

Much of their website seems to be about post-abortion counselling and pregnancy loss. I am assuming the bit where they feature stories from women who they helped to have abortions is being written.

Waitrose should know better.

Would add that if they are independent, they are guilty of plagiarism...

Perhaps someone from Acorn could point us in the direction of an impartial video on their website where one of their clients talks about abortion in terms other than regret.

Many people have terminations and don't regret them, but the 'regret myth' is one that anti-abortionists love to promulgate.

Acorn Counselling say they are 'organisational' members of the BACP (spokes person Phillip Hodson, Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a vice-president).

I can find individual BACP members on the website and I can search for a therapist, but I can't find anything about Acorn Counselling. Does anybody know more about the BACP?

Apparently there has been 'confusion' about Care Confidential and the BACP before…

www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2011/07/04/bacp-not-backing-dorriess-abortion-amendments/

YABVU to say 'Waitrose Sucks' when it's a local decision, and the same charity has been supported by a local Asda in the past.

YABVU to condemn Acorn Counselling, which is an independent charity (albeit with a declared affiliation) and there's no evidence it has ever offered inappropriate advice.

This is from a page condemning CARE for being impartial (it's written by fundamentalist Christians)

belmonthouse.co.uk/?page_id=272

"The first thing a woman with an unwanted pregnancy is asked to consider is her circumstances. ‘Circumstances can make an unplanned pregnancy hard to face. That’s often because we are afraid of losing things that are important to us; not just practical things like time and money, but things like freedom, peace of mind, and relationships.’ Here the woman is persuaded that she must consider her particular circumstances in order to decide what the best thing is for her. In other words, what is the pragmatic solution in view of her particular situation?

The leaflet reminds a woman she has the right to choose. ‘Write a list of those things you think you might lose with each of the options. These may include things like money, accommodation, time, freedom, and the baby itself, but also other things like self worth, peace of mind, and sense of security.’ That is, a woman is advised to consider her gains and losses in economic and psychological terms. Now she must write a list of the things she will gain. ‘This time, go through the list and think of the things you would gain with each of the options. How important are these gains to you?’ From her carefully constructed balance sheet she is in a position to make a trade-off between her loses and gains and the baby’s life."

It's ridiculous that people get so hysterical without a shred of evidence that this group has done anything wrong.

This 2012 newsletter suggests that their materials dating from 2008 'Cakked to Care' were being re-written, and it refers to BPAS, Marie Stopes, etc., as sources of information.

Also the majority of their work is for miscarriage and stilbirth counselling, usually by NHS referral. Only 16% of visits relate to pregnant women.

Where is the declared affiliation?

their advert says: "Could you be interested in this exciting work? No formal qualifications needed, full training is given – just a love of young people and a desire to influence their thinking for good in their formative years "'

Yes what bastards, eh:

"We discuss different relationships in life, encouraging the children to think about qualities needed in a loving relationship. The session is interactive, encouraging the kids to write words on the board."

How dare they.

It's on their Facebook:

www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=364696926886578&story_fbid=377681295625062
www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=364696926886578&story_fbid=461191573903779

linked from their homepage.

It's also in their annual report, also linked from their homepage.

acornwg.moonfruit.com/download/i/mark_dl/u/4011183247/4611021527/2014%20Acorn%20annual%20report%20new.pdf

It says that last year:

• they provided counselling to 12 women following abortions, and 17 following miscarriages, 322 sessions in total
• they advised 13 pregnant women
• they did sessions for Y8 and Y10 in six schools, 2215 students in total

The 'Pregnancy Choices' leaflet is here:

www.careconfidential.com/Documents/Leaflets/Pregnancy-Choices-v1.pdf

And the structure of the pregnancy counselling course is here:

shop.careconfidential.com/acatalog/PCPCHandbookv7.pdf

(it takes 14 days of remote study, plus two full-day practical sessions in a conference centre, cost for the course is £492)

their advert says: "Could you be interested in this exciting work? No formal qualifications needed, full training is given – just a love of young people and a desire to influence their thinking for good in their formative years "'
Yes, what bastards, eh?

Well, yes, I do find something disturbing about their stated aim of trying to 'influence [young people's] thinking for the good' (whatever that means, it sounds extremely subjective) when, as a counsellor, you should not be pushing any agenda whatsoever to your clients if you claim to be impartial.

And accusing people of 'being hysterical' (I presume you mean me and other posters who have supported my stance) is just a way of trying to belittle people who don't share your opinion, isn't it?

Plenty of 'pro choice' helplines and charities have been found to really push abortion when they are meant to be impartial.

Just read threads in 'pregnancy choices' where women who have dealt with Marie Stopes say they weren't really offered impartial advice at all.

Well I'm glad that's cleared up then. Waitrose seem to think that

"It’s important to clarify that where a Wikipedia entry refers to Care Confidential this does not reflect the work of Acorn Counselling, which is not affiliated and is independent."

Wonder where they could have got that idea from?

I think Waitrose's many Telegraph reading customers will be a little upset that they have been misled, but presumably a full apology and correction will be forthcoming.

Great that you have confirmed the link though.

"Well, yes, I do find something disturbing about their stated aim of trying to 'influence [young people's] thinking for the good' (whatever that means, it sounds extremely subjective) when, as a counsellor, you should not be pushing any agenda whatsoever to your clients if you claim to be impartial."

Eh? The advert you have quoted from is for people doing sex education in schools.

Not pregnancy/abortion counsellors.

Just checked the map of 'Crisis Pregnancy Centres' in the UK. The Telegraphy identify the provider of 'Acorn' as Care Confidential.

Interestingly, clicking around the map, I can't find any Crisis Pregnancy Centre called 'Care Confidential'. All seem to have different names. Makes it very confusing. Maybe Marie Stopes or BPAS could give them some advice. Difficult to create a brand if you keep changing your name. Anyone would think they didn't want people to know who they were!

Aga, do you not think you are giving an awful lot of credence to their stated aims and leaflets, when they are part of a network which has been proven on multiple occasions to say one thing and do quite another?

If this was a truly impartial organisation, they wouldn't be looking to solely recruit their volunteer base from evangelical churches, and require than even the part time admin assistant "Be in accord with and committed to working within the ethos and Statement of Faith of the centre" before taking up the job?

It is a best naive and worst delusional to think that an organisation that goes so out of its way to be a total closed shop on the viewpoints it will accept amongst those who work for it can be truly impartial when offering a service to vulnerable people.

I wonder if the schools are aware they've been inviting evangelical Christians in to give relationship education.

There is a list of all the schools they visited in their annual report if any locals are interested.

Link?

Aga helpfully provided it above in 15.54 post.