Huge call for the organisation but says it's the right one

Save the Children has rejected a $1 million (£750,000) donation for Ukraine from an oil and gas firm.

The charity rebuffed North Sea producer Neptune Energy two weeks ago because the charity is “committed to working on climate change issues”.

Neptune, which says it has given £1.5million for Ukrainian humanitarian efforts, challenged the decision with Save the Children’s trustees, saying its staff chose the charity and its employees were shocked, dismayed” and were left wondering whether their own personal donations would no longer be welcomed.

Instead the energy firm gave cash to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee.

A spokesman for Save the Children said: “We decided earlier this month that we would stop taking donations as soon as possible from companies whose core business is in fossil fuels.

“The only exception during a transitional period before this policy comes into force would be a large donation to our flexible Children’s Emergency Fund.

“The reason is that this could be used in a crisis for which relatively little money is available, such as in the Horn of Africa.

“We’ve changed our policy following a lead given by children all over the world who have protested about the threat the climate crisis poses to their future.”