Since Sue Ryder became the first and only UK charity to admit they will use claimants on sickness and disability benefits as forced unpaid workers (1) hundreds of people have contacted them to express disgust at their activities.

This followed the revelation that Sue Ryder are part of the Mandatory Work Activity scheme and also accepted free workers on the Community Action Programme. This is one of the nastiest workfare schemes which involves 720 hours forced unpaid work simply for being unemployed. This is over twice the maximum Community Service punishment which can be handed out by the Courts.

Sue Ryder are unrepentant about their use of mass workfare and have even boasted about how much money it makes them! In a Question and Answer response to online criticism they sought to justify this by claiming people forced to work their shops under threat of poverty and destitution are ‘volunteers’.

We urgently need to keep up the pressure and ensure that Sue Ryder know exactly what the public think about forced unpaid work. Join the hundreds of people who have already said they will boycott the charity and send a message not just to Sue Ryder, but to any other charity considering the Government’s vile offer of forced free labour carried out by sick and disabled claimants.

Contact info

Telephone: 0845 050 1953 (they also have a freephone number for shopping online at: 0800 917 8123)

General contact form:  http://www.sueryder.org/Contact-us

There well staffed PR office can be reached on:  alice.clements@suerydercare.org
To let them know you no longer wish to donate use:  paul.martin@suerydercare.org

To find locations and contact details for individual shops visit:  http://www.sueryder.org/Shop-with-us/High-Street-shopping/Find-your-nearest-shop

Sue Ryder have a youtube channel here:  http://www.youtube.com/sueryderfilms

Join the facebook bombardment:  http://www.facebook.com/SueRyderNational

Tweet their main account @sue_ryder (people have been using the hashtag #shameonsue)

Sue Ryder shops with individual twitter accounts include: @SRReadingRetro, @SRHeadingley, @SueRyderVintage, @SueRyderKH, @SueRyderWinch, @suerydervandr@SueRyderSandbac, @Sueryderlitmoor, @SRHaworth1, @SRBrockworth, @SRyderDewsbury, @SueRyderLiscard, @SueRyderMond, @SueRyderFarrell, @SueRyderMoreton

SueRyder shops with active facebook pages include:
(search for “sue ryder” shop on facebook to find more)

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sue-Ryder-Scott-Arms-Birmingham/254579317893312

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sue-Ryder/102455693235841

 http://www.facebook.com/suerydersw

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arklow-Sue-Ryder-Charity-Shop/191207034239412

 http://www.facebook.com/SRReadingRetro

 http://www.facebook.com/SueRyderVintageandRetroLeicester

 http://www.facebook.com/Sue.Ryder.Pimlico

We urge people not to contact hospices run by the charity or clinical/care staff. This is about ending workfare, not disrupting people’s care.

Whilst it’s well worth trying to speak to a manager or senior individual if possible please bear in mind most people taking calls/emails will be low paid retail/admin staff and could even be on workfare themselves. Be aware that is an offence to make telephone calls or send communications which are threatening, indecent or offensive.

Join the National Week of Action Against Workfare beginning on March 18th:  http://www.boycottworkfare.org/?p=1996

(1)  http://johnnyvoid.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/we-make-millions-from-forcing-sick-and-disabled-to-work-boast-sue-ryder/