A report has emerged on Indymedia this evening that an FAI group attacked a Barnardo’s charity shop in Brixton because of its involvement in the continued detention of children. The individuals said in their statement, “This action was in solidarity with all migrants detained, deported and struggling to cross borders”.
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(Originally posted on www.indymedia.org.uk)
This weekend activists from South Wales No Borders teamed up with people in Exeter, Devon after a call-out to challenge Picturehouse cinemas about their link to Barnardo’s – the children’s charity that believes in locking up children.
Do Picturehouse believe in locking up children?
Picturehouse claimed on their website that they are “very proud to be supporting Barnardo’s this Christmas”. Cinema-goers are invited to “donate £1 to Barnardo’s when you purchase your tickets”.
But despite a quiet day for the cinema, a few leaflets were handed out and the staff themselves seemed interested enough to pass on our concerns about the activities of Barnardo’s, and the link up, to their bosses at the Central Picturehouse and for some of our leaflets to be left in the cafe they have upstairs.
Feeling that this wasn’t enough to satisfy the group’s plans for the day, as it was still early, but feeling unable to stay for the screening of The Hobbit later in the day, even though it would bring a larger crowd than the Christmas matinee film (that was part of the scheme), leaflets were distributed up the street around the cinema with comments added that included, “for more info see Exeter PictureHouse”, “just letting you know that the detention of innocent children is backed by the charity promoted by Exeter PictureHouse” and “help us stop this – ask Exeter PictureHouse why they continue to support Barnardo’s”.
Local businesses around the cinema were also visited and activists talked to the staff about the cinema. The response was either positive or neutral, and no-one disagreed with the views but to them, but some asked for more time to read up on it and think about whether they could support the campaign or not. Some great responses lead to the displaying of the leaflet in some shop’s windows before the activists had even left the shop, with a further three shops saying they hoped to be able to display it but had to check with other staff or bosses. Other shops agreed they could send an email or contact the cinema in some other way – we hope that they do, and we hope to be back outside Exeter Picturehouse soon.
Contact details for the Exeter Picturehouse are:
email: 
exeter@picturehouses.co.uk
Address: 51 Bartholomew Street West, EX4 3AJ
Box Office Number: 0871 902 5730
Contact details for other Picturehouse cinemas, and location details for potential action in other cities can be found here:
http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/
Get in touch with them to show that Barnardo’s are not a charity that deserve people’s trust until they pull out of Cedars.
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Thanks to all who got involved!
Hundreds of leaflets were disseminated to passers-by, customers, volunteers and staff at Barnardo’s charity shops in Oxford and Glasgow.
Barnardo’s Glasgow branch picketed
Unity and No Borders protest Barnardo’s
Many leaflets were handed out to passers-by
The Cardiff Barnardo’s shop had its locks glued to cause disruption to services, while a visit to their head offices in Barkingside simply to hand out some leaflets led staff to lock their front doors and use another exit (what are they really afraid of?!). Many potentially sympathetic staff took leaflets and were encouraged to take a stand against the charity’s involvement in Cedars.
Meanwhile, it was clear that Barnardo’s were being plagued by phone calls throughout the day, as one exasperated member of staff was assigned to deal with members of the public asking the charity why they hadn’t withdrawn from Cedars, as agreed, given that its ‘red lines’ have been repeatedly broken.
The funders were emailed, and celebrity endorsers tweeted at and informed about Barnardo’s role in detaining children.
Thanks to everyone who got involved, but remember, its never too late to take action. Browse this site for ideas on how you can help end child detention.
Posted in General
Following a series of documented assaults on migrant families held in Cedars, the appalling treatment of the Saleh family, and the damning HM Inspector of Prison’s report last month, anti-detention campaigners are calling on all concerned groups and individuals to join us in an intensive day of action to ratchet up the campaign against Barnardo’s involvement in child detention.
Barnardo’s does not really have the welfare of children at heart. If it did, it would have pulled out of Cedars as soon as its own ‘red lines’ had begun to be breached. The reality is that these conditions relating to the use of force against minors and the length of detention at Cedars have been repeatedly broken, and Barnardo’s continued involvement in Cedars is only serving to legitimise the continued use of child detention. As Medical Justice put it:
“they ruined the campaign to end the detention of children, which campaigners felt could be achievable as the government had already promised it.”
Our aim is to put enough pressure on Barnardo’s to pull out of Cedars. We believe this will strip away any legitimacy for the continued use of child detention and take us closer to stopping it for real. We see the fight against child detention as one part of the struggle against the brutal system of immigration detention as a whole.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTION:
There are various simple ways through which you can take action and help stop child detention: if you can’t pay Barnardo’s a visit on the day, you can still phone, tweet or email them and their supporters. Do something!
1. Phone blockade. Call Barnardo’s and ask why they are continuing to work at Cedars despite the repeated breaches of their own ‘red lines’. Remember, senior staff at Barnardo’s never have to hear from the families held at and deported from Cedars. Your phone calls and messages are a chance to put across some hard truths about Cedars.
– Barnardo’s head office: 0208 550 8822
– Press office: 020 8498 7555 (24 hours)
– Media and communications managers: 0208 498 7685 or 0113 393 3245
– Corporate partnerships/fundraising: 0208 498 7138
– Commissioning their services as consultants: 0208 498 7734
– Supporter care/telephone donation line: 0800 008 7005
If you would like to protect your anonymity (if you don’t want a call back from Barnardo’s, for example), dial 141 before entering the number.
2. Tweet. If you have a Twitter account, why not tweet these celebrity endorsers of Barnardo’s (see Barnardo’s website for details of their support for the charity). Ask them, politely, if they are aware of Barnardo’s role in Cedars, and whether they might reconsider supporting them.
Actor and author Stephen Fry: @stephenfry
Actress Fay Ripley: @FayRipley
Actress Michelle Collins: @missmcollins
Actress Amanda Holden: @Amanda_Holden
Taekwondo Olympic bronze medallist Lutalo Muhammad: @LutaloMuhammad
Rugby player James Haskell: @jameshaskell
3. Leaflet Barnardo’s charity shops. Most Barnardo’s shop volunteers and customers probably don’t know what Barnardo’s is involved with. You can let them know about Cedars and what goes on inside.
Download and print this leaflet and distribute it. For a list of the nearest Barnardo’s charity shops to you, see this page.
4. Pay a visit to Barnardo’s offices. For a list of all Barnardo’s addresses, see this page.
5. Email Barnardo’s funders. Many of the (no doubt well-meaning) charitable trusts funding Barnardo’s might not be aware of the charity’s role in Cedars family immigration prison. Let them know!
Below is a model letter that you can modify and send to the trusts listed below:
boshierhinton@yahoo.co.uk, general@communityfoundation.org.uk, clerk@cowardtrust.org.uk, clerk@higgscharity.org.uk, enquiries@barondavenportscharity.org, office@bernardsunley.org, richard.adkinson@btinternet.com, ecadburytrust@btconnect.com, secretary@rsmacdonald.com, admin@ulstergardenvillages.co.uk, info@waterloofoundation.org.uk, director@watesfoundation.org.uk, info@johnjames.org.uk,
trust@plans-ltd.co.uk, enquiries@lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk, ParentingFund@familyandparenting.org, pfizerukfoundation@pfizer.com, info@sirjohnfisherfoundation.org.uk, info@carers.org, terence.finley@virginmedia.com, mail@rothleytrust.co.uk, info@mediatrust.org, MartinG@newgatepr.com, WillaM@newgatepr.com, gina@millerphilanthropy.com, maureen.moffatgroup@gmail.com, generaloffice@nr-foundation.org.uk,oglesbycharitabletrust@bruntwood.co.uk
christine.norgrove@sghmartineau.com, ruth.barron@cobbetts.com, malcolm.lynch@wrigleys.co.uk, martinw@massers.co.uk, paula.fowle@harveyingram.com, keith.lawrence@moorestephens.com, admin@therobertsontrust.org.uk, enquiries@therobertsontrust.org.uk, enquiries@soutercharitabletrust.org.uk, application@soutercharitabletrust.org.uk, cwalker@the-grand-charity.org, info@the-grand-charity.org, smccarthy@the-grand-charity.org, agrout@the-grand-charity.org, reliefchest@the-grand-charity.org, vjagdeo@the-grand-charity.org,rfreeman@the-grand-charity.org
A list of Barnardo’s funders, available on p.21 of the charity’s 2011 annual report
Sample letter to Barnardo’s funders:
Dear Barnardo’s supporter,
I am writing to ask for your help in stopping Barnardo’s involvement in child detention.
Last August, the government opened Cedars, its notorious ‘pre-departure accommodation’ for families awaiting deportation. While the government claims that it has ended the detention of migrant children, Cedars is in fact just a detention centre with a friendlier face. Controversially, the children’s charity Barnardo’s, whom you have funded, took on the contract to provide ‘welfare services’ in the centre.
Barnardo’s made a number of conditions when it entered into this agreement. The charity set out a list of ‘red lines’, saying that it would speak out and withdraw its services if these were broken. Yet these conditions – including the use of force against children, the repeated detention of families at the centre, and the detention for longer than a seven day limit – have been repeatedly broken. These violations were further highlighted in HM Inspector of Prisons’ report on Cedars released last month. However, Barnardo’s still maintains its involvement in Cedars, has broken its promise to withdraw, and has refused even to comment on what is happening at Cedars.
Barnardo’s said that it took the contract at Cedars to help ensure children’s welfare. The HMIP report shows that this is not working. Furthermore, as the Institute of Race Relations has commented, Barnardo’s involvement actually makes matters worse by “legitimising” the continued detention of children. The charity Medical Justice said in a recent report: Barnardo’s “ruined the campaign to end the detention of children, which campaigners felt could be achievable as the government had already promised it.”
If Barnardo’s upheld its “red lines” and pulled out of Cedars now, this would send a very strong message which could help end child detention for real. If you disagree with the detention of children, regardless of their country of origin, I ask you to urge Barnardo’s to cease its involvement in child detention, or reconsider funding the charity in future.
Yours sincerely,
For more information please see:
https://network23.org/barnardosout/
For more information:
Email: barnardosout@riseup.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barnardos-Out/322269514547165
Twitter: @BorderlessLDN
