An independent review of the RSPCA’s prosecution work has concluded that its successful 2012 test case prosecution of David Cameron’s Heythrop hunt for illegally hunting foxes, which resulted in fines of £6,800 for the hunt and two of its members, was appropriately brought and not politically motivated. Continue reading →

An expose by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) of the cruelty involved in killing young crocodiles and alligators for their skins has persuaded British model and designer Jane Birkin to ask design group Hermes to change the name of its crocodile-skin Birkin handbag.

The bag was launched by Hermes in 1984 and named after the Sixties singer for giving the company the original idea for its practical design in 1981 and since then has become a big hit with the rich and fashion-conscious such as Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Kate Moss, Julia Roberts and others who have paid up to £100,000 and beyond for their ostentatious symbols of wealth, generating hundreds of millions for Hermes. Predictably the design is also one of the world’s most widely-copied, perhaps for those with more sense than money, and who don’t want to join the six-year waiting list for one made by Hermes. Continue reading →

Armed Forces charities concerned about potential loss of donations from air shows in the wake of the recent Shoreham air disaster that killed 11 members of the public are being given false reassurance, along with the public, about the safety record of air displays by those who make money from them.

According to the PR department of the British Air Display Association the last time members of the public were killed at an event was “63 years ago”, a reference to the 1952 Farnborough Air Show tragedy when 29 died.

In fact six members of the public died at the Biggin Hill Air Show in 1980, 35 years ago, when they were being carried on a Douglas Invader which crashed very close to a housing estate attempting a rolling climb stunt.

Fuller story in Event Organisers Update issue 132, September.

Age UK is to cease funding vivisection and joins the growing list of charities whose donated funds are not used for animal experimentation. (Ethical Consumer magazine).

Around 135 medical charities, including Marie Curie Cancer Care and Breast Cancer UK do not conduct or fund animal research, but ninety still do, despite a 2011 opinion poll conducted by Animal Aid that found that 82% of the public would not donate to charities that did.

Information about charities and their policy on funding vivisection is on the Animal Aid database at web: victimsofcharity.org

Parachute jumps for charity have come in for some criticism in a new book about charity fundraising. “Doing Good Better: Effective Altruism and How You Can Make a Difference” by Oxford don and expert in charity giving William MacAskill, reviewed in the Daily Express.

Less than 40% of the money raised from sponsoring a jump actually gets to the charity says MacAskill since the parachute clubs take the lion’s share. A sponsorship of £400 commonly sees the parachute club get £250 and the charity £150, making it a very wasteful way of raising money for good causes.