Treasurer's account for unregistered charity keeps being refused!

AnnElk

Hi everyone... I am hoping you can help me.
I am running a small, not for profit, currently as an unincorporated association, we are aiming to register as a charity, but first we need a bank account!


I've made applications so far with Metro, Lloyds and Cooperative.
Metro and Lloyds both turned us down... Metro admitted it was due to our objectives, Lloyds refused to give a reason so I'm assuming its the same thing. Coop just messed us about for months, being evasive and exceptionally unhelpful until I decided to try other banks.


The purpose of the organisation is to campaign for legal access to medical cannabis for patients in the UK, and also to educate on its benefits. Our constitution states very clearly that we do not involve ourselves in the supply of said medication, nor do we undertake any other illegal activities.


My questions are this:
Are they really allowed to turn me down without stating any reason at all? Are they really allowed to turn me down on the basis that they are scared of the big bad 'C' word? Is there a place that I can escalate my complaint? Can anyone suggest where to go from here. I'd rather not remove all reference to cannabis from our constitution just to please the banks.. I am cannabis proud!:D

colsten

Are you applying in your name, or in the charity's name? Are you applying for a personal current account or a small business/ charity account?

A quick google yields the following for charity accounts. I am sure there are others.

http://moneyfacts.co.uk/business/charity-account/

Of course, if you are trying to set up an account in the UK to sell cannabis, or the virtues of cannabis, you are unlikely to succeed for many years as cannabis is illegal in the UK, and there is no reason to believe this will change any time soon. You might have more success if you relocate to somewhere where your drug isn't illegal.

All banks in the UK have the right to turn anyone down without giving any reason. Nobody in the UK can be forced to do business with anyone they do not want to do business with.

AnnElk

Thanks for your reply Colsten. We're applying for these kind of accounts in the name of the organisation, we want to be able to present a professional and legitimate organisation with whom the politicians, medical, and legal professionals can continue to engage, getting the law changed sooner than you think!


Of course I would love to move to Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands, USA, Israel or one of the many other countries we need to catch up to, but I've chosen to stay here for the time being and help other patients change an unjust law. I might be sick but there's plenty of fight left in me yet.

EssexExile

colsten wrote: »

Nobody in the UK can be forced to do business with anyone they do not want to do business with.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/may/19/northern-ireland-ashers-baking-company-guilty-discrimination-gay-marriage-cake

colsten

EssexExile wrote: »

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/may/19/northern-ireland-ashers-baking-company-guilty-discrimination-gay-marriage-cake

Most business owners will be smart enough to come up with a non-contestable decline.

Why should businesses have less rights than individuals? Nobody can force you or I to buy our cakes from a shop we don't want to buy from, and neither can a charity be forced to open a bank account with a bank they don't want to have an account with.