We R Blighty and two of its directors were hit with fine and costs totalling £3,640 just days before Remembrance Day
A veteran’s charity accused of ‘aggressive and unprofessional’ fundraising has been convicted of illegal street collections for a second time. We R Blighty and two of its directors were hit with a fine and costs totalling £3,640 just days before Remembrance Day.
The watchdog said it was likely that donors could have been misled by confusing messaging wrongly suggesting a link with a reputable veterans’ charity, and that some of its fundraisers acted in an aggressive and unprofessional ways.
We R Blighty founder Ben Mills and fellow director Danielle Vidler were aware that legal proceedings had commenced for earlier offences which later came to court in June. In the latest case, the pair were sentenced on the same day a report published by the Fundraising Regulator found nine breaches of its code of practice by We R Blighty.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s licensing committee John Fletcher said: “As a veteran of 17 years’ service, I understand how important it is to support reputable veterans’ charities, especially at a time of year when we remember the service and sacrifice of the men and women who fought and died representing our country.
“Their quiet, dignified approach is in stark contrast to the way We R Blighty go about their business, and the shameless way in which they carried on collecting despite repeated warnings and an impending court case.
“This conviction is testament to the diligent work of our licensing and City Solicitors teams, and sends out a clear message that we won’t tolerate unlicensed collections on the streets of the Square Mile.”
Mills admitted six offences and Vidler five offences, along with six breaches on behalf of the company itself at a hearing at City of London Magistrates’ Court on November 5. They related to unlicensed collections at Cannon Street, London Bridge and Leadenhall Market in March, April and May this year.
The company was fined £1,200, with individual fines of £240 for Mills and £220 for Vidler. We R Blighty was also ordered to pay legal costs of £1,500 and a victim surcharge of £480.
In June 2025, Mills and Vidler pleaded guilty to 14 offences each between August 2024 and February this year. They and the company were ordered to pay fines totalling £1,792 and costs of £1,700.
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