Charities are there to help those in need. They should try to stay away from politics and stick to their core mission. However, it seems some charities in the UK feel the need to wade into divisive political matters. By doing so, they have thrust themselves into the ensuing culture war that is tearing society apart.
One of the charities going woke is none other than The National Trust, one of the biggest charities in the UK. The National Trust recently did a study on some of its properties and released a report that highlights the links between some of the trust’s buildings to slavery and colonialism. Some of the buildings had been home to historic figures such as Winston Churchill and Rudyard Kipling.
This report prompted criticism from many, including some Conservative Members of Parliament. They called the Trust of being Marxist and politically correct. Some critics point out the ignorance of the Trust in conflating colonialism with slavery. Andrew Roberts, the author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, said to The Telegraph “’It’s a sign of how ignorant the National Trust has tragically become that it mixes up slavery with colonising, considering that Britain’s mutually beneficial relationship with her colonies – to which Churchill was proud to dedicate his life – continued long after slavery ended in 1833, which was 41 years before Churchill was born.”
The conduct of The National Trust was reported to the Charity Commission, which conducted an inquiry into the organization. The Commission concluded that the trust did not breach any charity laws. It however noted that the report has the potential to damage the charity’s reputation.
Barnardo’s is another charity in the UK that is trying to go woke. It is the largest children’s charity in the UK. The charity fell into hot waters for posting a blog about racial inequality and ‘white privilege’. Many feel this is inexcusable for a children’s charity. However, this has parallels to the woke indoctrination of children through CRT in American schools. After this incident, Barnardo’s was also cleared by the Charity Commission.
Runneymede, a racial equality think tank, is another charity that is joining the ranks of ‘woke’ charities. It was accused of having a political agenda after it criticized a race report by the UK government, much to the ire of ruling party MPs. The Charity Commission, while clearing the charity of any wrongdoings, warned that it must balance its involvement with politicians and political parties. Critics say the charities are engaging in woke virtue-signaling. They are straying from their core mission by engaging in divisive politics. Despite the criticisms, the charities are saying that they are now emboldened to speak out more. They are also claiming that the criticisms are bringing them more public support. Maybe that’s the whole point of this – maybe they just want their donations to go up through all these shenanigans.
