Campaigners say they are shocked pro-life charity gets large award from the UK government fund

Third sector groups have aired their outrage after it was revealed £250,000 from the tampon tax has been given to an anti-abortion group.

A number of campign groups said it was wrong that the charity Life was awarded one of the largest amounts from the government fund that comes from the 5% VAT on tampons and sanitary towels.

Run by the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), the fund also gave £354,617 to One Parent Families in Scotland as well as 200,000 to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to support women who have been stalked.

DCMS said the money is to support Life’s project for homeless pregnant women in London.

Claire Murphy, the director of external affairs at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), a not-for-profit organisation that provides abortion care and support for women, said she was “totally shocked”.

She said: “This is a huge grant and one of the largest that was given out from the tampon tax fund.

“It is very surprising. Life is well known for campaigning against women’s access to abortion.

“This is a tax on women’s periods being used to fund an organisation that is opposing women’s autonomy over their own bodies and pregnancies.

“They are not interested in women, they are interested in unborn babies, and giving priority to unborn babies over women’s needs is absolutely shocking."

Sexual health charity Brook has written two reports into the activities of the charity.

Brook sent mystery shoppers to Life’s counselling services and found that the charity was providing “misinformation and bias and poor quality practices.”

Life’s director of operations Margaret Coward said “Life has provided support to women in crisis for over four decades.

"Our commitment to supporting women in times of crisis, with care and compassion is beyond question and we are proud to stand tall amongst the groups which help women every day.

“We are there to empower those women with the support they need to continue with their pregnancy and to equip them with the skills to help them overcome their personal challenges.”

A spokeswoman from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: “Life has been awarded £250,000 to fund a specific project in West London that will help homeless and other at risk women who are pregnant by providing housing, counselling and life skills training.”