The guys and gals at Eulogy Magazine have run rather a good story to earth and, in the process, attracted a libel threat from the Sue Ryder charity, which they have responded to by proclaiming it in a press release. Nice one, bredren!
At the beginning of 2011, Eulogy discovered that Sue Ryder and King’s Court Trust (KCT), a little known and unregulated probate firm, were in the process of developing a commercial partnership called, ‘Services for Bereavement’
On Friday 11th March 2011, Christine Houghton, Marketing Director of KCT told us, “Sue Ryder will be giving us a list of their patients to work from. Obviously we can’t be seen to be ‘ambulance chasing’, which is why Services for Bereavement is important.”
Concerned with the way such a proposal might contravene data protection laws, we asked Sue Ryder for clarification. They denied any agreement to share data with KCT, but refused to explain how the company was led to believe that they would be given a list of patients.
Whetted your appetite? Read the whole sorry mess here.
Good work Eulogy!
Interesting, but is it any different from AgeUK having a commercial deal with Dignity to sell funeral plans?
Charities have to do something to make money as they are being given smaller lumps of other people’s money – apparently times are hard. This is why a lot of the larger charities have a commercial arm – to make money, which is a strange concept for them as they are normally used to simply being given it.
A very good point about Age UK and its deal with Dignity funeral plans, Suffolk Cider. The professionalising of money-raising has in some cases led to the disempowerment of volunteers and the introduction of dubious practices which cause the public to begin to doubt the altruism of charities and stop giving. When several charities in the same field start competing (jealously) and cease to co-operate they can surely be reckoned to have lost the plot. If a charity is not decent and deserving it loses its raison d’etre. Whatever the real story behind the Eulogy allegations, it remains the case… Read more »
[…] The vulnerability of well-meaning charities to the blandishments of sociopath financial product salespeople is a matter of concern. Earlier this year Eulogy Magazine exposed an unhealthy relationship between Sue Ryder and King’s Court Trust – here. […]