Terror survivors say funding system to help them is ‘broken’ and abused by scammers on sites such as JustGiving
CAMPAIGNERS have called for a new recognised fund to help attack victims and bereaved families and stop scammer websites.
A new report from Survivors Against Terror found the current fundraising system was “broken” and beset by fraud with “multiple, fake and amateur” funds being set up.
The group - founded by survivors and bereaved relatives of victims of Islamist bombings, IRA attacks and far-right extremist murders – want the British Survivors Fund to be modelled on the existing Disasters Emergency Committee and the London Emergencies Trust.
Westminster Bridge survivor Travis Frain - who was seriously injured in last year’s attack, said it was a natural British instinct “to help when terror strikes”.
He said: “One of our first instincts following attacks is to raise money to help those affected - but the present system is broken.
“Each attack sees multiple fundraising responses, some real, some fake, some high profile, some more amateur. Too often it feels like potluck who gets help and who doesn’t.
“As a result, the public don’t know how to help, fraud has been facilitated and money is not being spent efficiently.
“It has also left people like myself and my friends being forced to use student loans or relying on the goodwill of close friends and family to pay for counselling and treatment for our injuries.
“It shouldn’t be like this.”
The report highlighted how following the Manchester Arena attack Charity Commission warnings led fundraising site JustGiving to place more than 200 accounts in quarantine.
And after the London Bridge attack, JustGiving deleted three appeals and placed 43 in quarantine.
The report calls for the fund to be live within hours of an attack in the UK or involving British victims, ready to help individuals and charities supporting them, and also widely supported by the media.
It said this would mean more money would be raised, the cash would be better spent, and the public presented with a better opportunity to help those in need.
The report was drafted by Charlotte Dixon-Sutcliffe whose husband was killed in the Brussels metro bombing, and Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered Labour MP Jo Cox.
Dan Hett the brother of Manchester bombing victim Martyn Hett, Paralympian and 7/7 survivor Martine Wiltshire and Mike Haines whose brother David was murdered by IS in Syria, are some of those involved in the group.
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Mr Frain added: “It’s time we put in place basic systems to make public support easier, quicker and fairer.
“We hope the Charity Commission will work with survivors and the sector as a whole to create a new fund before we are left responding to another attack with a chaotic set of appeals.
“Financial support never takes away from the pain and trauma of attacks, but it can at least stop finances being another thing to worry about in the days and weeks after.”
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