Campaigners say care should not be funded by companies whose products maim and kill

A charity supporting seriously wounded ex-service personnel has been criticised for taking sponsorship from an arms company.

Campaigners claim Walking With The Wounded has aligned itself with profits from the “global misery” caused by the arms trade after it announced a sponsorship deal with BAE Systems.  

The defence giant was revealed as one of the presenting partners of the military charity’s Cumbrian Challenge, an annual flagship fundraising event due to take place this May.

BAE Systems is one of the world’s biggest defence manufacturers, producing aircraft, armaments, guidance systems as well as training for armies across the world.

It is currently involved in the supply of weapons to the Saudi Arabian military which has come under worldwide criticism for killing tens of thousands of people in Yemen.

Established in 2010, WWTW supports physically and psychologically affected ex-military personnel.

Many of its service users have experienced life-changing injuries during conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Campaingers from the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) said that better choices had to be made and that social care should not be funded by the arms trade.  

Kirsten Bayes, a spokesperson for CAAT, said: “Service charities are trying to fill a big gap between the help their beneficiaries need and the woeful under-funding of support by the UK government. We understand the pressures they face.

“BAE Systems, however, is an arms company that makes its profits from conflicts around the world.

“For example, we estimate it has sold over £20 billion of arms to Saudi Arabia since the start of the war in Yemen, a war being fought by a Saudi-led coalition which has seen tens of thousands killed and seriously injured.

“Our society should be making better choices. The funding of care at home should not be reliant on profits from the global misery caused by UK weaponry, and companies like BAE Systems should not be allowed to use the publicity from charity involvement to distract from their dreadful record of arming the world's most violent regimes."

Joel Oxberry, WWTW director of income, defended the partnership, saying: "Walking With The Wounded (WWTW) events are supported by many different organisations, including BAE Systems.

"WWTW event sponsorship allows us to raise money to support our employment, mental health, care coordination and volunteering programmes.  

"BAE Systems is a large employer within the veteran community and has provided many opportunities to those who served and their families."

A spokesperson for BAE Systems said: “Providing support to the UK Armed Forces lies at the heart of what we do as a company and we take great pride in the role we play helping our service personnel to protect the UK’s security and prosperity.

“Our partnership with Walking With The Wounded to deliver its annual Cumbrian Challenge provides an opportunity for our employees and the local community to come together to support UK service veterans on their recovery journey.”

Scots charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has also been criticised for taking "dirty money" from BAE Systems.