Why is Tesco letting a cult fundraise in its shops

[WhyIsTescoSupportingACult]

obviously NC for this

went to the big Tesco in Beckton, east London, earlier today. 2 young men were enthusiastically dancing and singing whilst holding those fundraising buckets. They were collecting donations for the UKCG ‘helpline’.

UKCG is a Christian cult, started in Brazil, but now present in a number of countries. Their leader/founder has spent a significant amount of time in jail. They are a dangerous organisation.

why is Tesco allowing a cult to fundraise in its shops??

I’m keen to follow this story so replying for traffic

I don't know anything about this organisation but a quick google says they are a registered charity

I don't suppose Tesco look any further than that

Any charity could be problematic if you disagree with their aims or a leader has had legal / moral / political etc issues

Oh! I had a friend who got in with the branch in Finsbury Park but was kicked out when she admitted (lied according to them) she'd been having sex with her boyfriend who was a leader of some kind.

I'm guessing they thought it was just a Christian charity

Oh that was supposed to be a video.

more pics added here

I don’t know what the definition of cult is, but they probably just checked charity status and that was that.

You probably need to speak to the manager or head office or something.

What have Tesco said OP?

Have you followed this up with Tesco? At the store or on social media?

Is it UCKG? there was a panorama on them recently.

They are absolutely awful! I know people UKCG have threatened because they wanted to leave the organisation.

And that church in Finsbury Park is huge

Was there? Will look it up.

I’m not on other social media so haven’t raised with them that way. I was in a rush so left the store and didn’t want to be fobbed off but wanted to raise this so started a thread as am so baffled.

even more now I’ve heard there’s recently been a panorama about them

https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/17/threats-grooming-exploitation-howe-we-escaped-a-church-cult-18070398/

It sounds horrific.

Reading some of the history of the Catholic Church just as one example is it any different to that?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Church_of_the_Kingdom_of_God

Is that the Beckton at the end of the DLR, I used to go to the Asda there, didn't know there was a Tesco too, but I moved away 10 years ago. Am also interested in your question.

Fundraising with buckets is quite tightly regulated e.g. you're not allowed to shake them. Should you feel like reporting them to the Fundraising Regulator

Report them to the Fundraising Regulator. Here.
https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/complaints

Report to Tesco Head Office here
customer.service@tesco or send a whatsup message to 0800 9177 403

It is obviously not okay. The local store would have allowed this. Its not good enough to say the store will just have approved it because it is a charity, they are supposed to do more checking than that.

I would also tweet to them this thread.

Talking About grooming and exploitation; Starbuck’s have fundraiser for the dodgy charity Mermaids, which is currently under investigation by the charity commission.

They were all over Manchester tonight

They were also on the Central line in Essex in Loughton. Greggs allowed it. They were so happy and full of life, dancing to Christmas tunes, I have them money 🤦🏼‍♀️.

I had no idea they'd become so big. That's worrying.

I work as a rep for an independent company inside a Tescos in one of the Home Counties and this would piss me off. We have seen animal charity fundraisers where I work, war veterans and elderly care charities but nothing like what you’ve posted. And you’re correct it’s definitely a cult, I say this as a Christian.

They like to market themselves as a Christian charity but you are right, it’s basically a cult. They have a history of performing “exorcisms” on children and people with mental issues, one of which resulted in the murder of Victoria Climbie in 2000, although they somehow managed to wriggle out of taking any blame for that. If I were you, I’d do some more research and present the facts to Tesco.