Veterans fundraising firm We R Blighty warned by police and banned by Morrisons ...Middle East

A controversial company raising money to help homeless military veterans has been warned by police and local councils for fundraising without permission on high streets and at railway stations.

We R Blighty, a community interest company (CIC), has also been banned by the supermarket chain Morrisons from collecting cash from shoppers inside its stores.

Members of the Kent-based organisation, which is not a registered charity, have become common sights appealing for donations outside busy stations across London, including Waterloo, Finsbury Park and High Street Kensington.

Yet they do not hold any licences to do this – meaning their activities are potentially illegal.

The i Paper revealed in November that the group is under investigation by Kent Police over suspected fraud, as well as by the Fundraising Regulator over the alleged aggressive behaviour of its street teams.

Both investigations remain under way. We R Blighty denies any wrongdoing.

Its founder, former soldier Ben Mills, claims to be the victim of a smear campaign by online groups, leading to him and his partner being “harassed”. He maintains that his colleagues do not intimidate the public.

He argues that the public supports his work “because they want veterans off the streets”. We R Blighty directly funds temporary accommodation in hotels, meaning it “helps veterans in a way that others can’t”.

Councillor Cem Kemahli, the lead member for planning and public realm at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said that We R Blighty had been operating “on our streets without a licence and we’ve written to warn them”.

Licences are used to ensure that fundraisers are trustworthy, plus to regulate how many operate in one place and how often, to prevent the public potentially being harassed for money.

“Registered and licenced charities are welcome,” said Kemahli. adding that street enforcement officers “will be taking action if any company is acting outside the law”.

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It is understood that other councils are also becoming frustrated with We R Blighty and are examining their options.

Mills has claimed that bureaucratic misunderstandings and incompetence have obstructed his group from obtaining licences.

Until recently, it has been unclear whether local councils or the Metropolitan Police are responsible for vetting any CICs wishing to collect on public land in London.

A review by various authorities has now concluded that the Met is responsible. But the force maintains a policy of only providing licences to registered charities, not CICs.

The Met confirmed in a statement: “We have not issued any permits to We R Blighty.”

British Transport Police have warned We R Blighty not to fundraise inside Waterloo station, while council officers have written to the group after they were seen working on the pavement outside High Street Kensington (Photos: Getty Images; Wikimedia Commons/Tentinator)

Problems at stations and supermarkets

British Transport Police (BTP) disclosed that its officers have previously ordered We R Blighty fundraisers to leave Waterloo station.

A spokesperson for the force said it had “moved their volunteers on from the station and have made it clear they cannot operate on Network Rail property”.

Representatives of We R Blighty are often seen on the pavement outside the station’s main entrance. Mills claims that BTP has given them permission “to work around Waterloo”.

The force denied it has powers to do this, stating that the area “is not under BTP’s jurisdiction, therefore it would not be for BTP to give permission”.

Morrisons has placed We R Blighty on a national “red list”, The i Paper understands. This advises stores not to book the group in for charitable slots collecting money at their doors.

Mills said his teams “no longer approach stores due to the trouble it causes” after allegations were “fabricated” against We R Blighty.

Mills argues that his teams now sell magazines and “do not collect” in public places. “We are not asking for donations.”

He believes this means his company does not require street collection or street trading licences, because of a legal exemption for vendors of print periodicals.

Leading figures in the charitable sector believe this is false and the magazines are merely a ruse.

They point out that We R Blighty teams carry buckets to collect cash, and use banners that do not mention magazines but instead state that the organisation is “Supporting our Homeless Veterans”.

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Its fundraisers also appeal to the public for large donations, using signs saying that £100 would cover “clothes and food for two weeks”, while £500 “will pay towards a new boat for permanent accommodation”.

Another CIC, Inside Success Union, which promotes youth opportunities, previously argued it was exempt from licencing because it was selling magazines.

But the Fundraising Regulator found last year that this group was not “solely engaged” in this business, and had breached its code which prohibits “misleading donors and pressuring them unduly to donate”.

Mills claimed that his group is not serving any “charitable purpose” nor working for “charitable causes”, instead pursuing an “ordinary course of trade”.

Yet We R Blighty’s website has a “Donate Now” button, states that its team “rely on donations from generous people”, and appeals for volunteers to help “give back to those who have given so much to us”.

@robhastings.bsky.social

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