English charity regulator fails to uphold complaints against RSPB
One of the UK’s biggest conservation charities has been exonerated over complaints about its activities and campaigning.
England’s Charity Commission said formal complaints against the RSPB from the Countryside Alliance and the You Forgot the Birds group had been investigated but found not to have breached regulations.
The complaint made last year by the Countryside Alliance focused on the RSPB’s Birdcrime Report 2013, in which it said it had made unfounded allegations against the shooting community.
In a separate complaint, You Forgot the Birds, a campaign group set up to challenge the RSPB, criticised it for supporting wind turbine developments that kill thousands of birds every year.
In a letter, the commission told the Countryside Alliance: “We have looked at the allegation that the RSPB has misused data and made unfounded allegations, acting in breach of our guidance for charities set out inCC9 - Speaking out: Guidance on campaigning and political activity by charities.
“Having examined the issues raised and met with the trustees, we have concluded that we have not found the RSPB has breached our guidelines on campaigning and political activity by charities.
“The Charity Commission therefore does not uphold your complaint.”
For 125 years, the RSPB has been campaigning to change law, policy, attitudes and behaviour to benefit wildlife – this is central to our charitable purpose - Martin Harper, RSPB
Backed by Sir Ian Botham, You Forgot the Birds accused the RSPB of being “a pension fund with a charity attached”, being undemocratic and killing hundereds of deer and foxes each year.
But the regulator closed the case in relation to the complaints after failing to uphold them last November.
The regulator has now informed the RSPB that neither complaint has been upheld.
The RSPB said: “We welcome the fact that these attacks have been systematically rejected.
“The Charity Commission invested time in examining our processes and activities in the light of the complaints… The Commission is clear that the RSPB has not breached charitable regulations or guidelines, or our own charitable objectives, on any of the issues raised.”
It comes as a survey of RSPB's members revealed around 80% want it to campaign as an organisation.
The survey was conducted between May and June 2014.
Martin Harper, director of conservation for the RSPB, said: “For 125 years, the RSPB has been campaigning to change law, policy, attitudes and behaviour to benefit wildlife – this is central to our charitable purpose.
"Our 1.1 million members provide a powerful voice for nature to protect our finest wildlife sites or stop illegal killing of birds of prey. They also help directly through our ‘Giving Nature a Home’ campaign which encourages people to do more for wildlife in their gardens.
“The sum of their actions (big or small) gives us confidence that together we can save nature.”
