Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Having just walked out of Iceland as soon as I walked in, I wonder who thought it was a good idea to let members of the dangerous and sinister religious cult that is Unified Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) do a bag pack there?

If anyone does not not about this nasty mysogonistic and homophobic money making scam masquerading as 'relgion' then see here http://www.haringey.org.uk/content/religion and there are plenty of examples out there as well.

This manager is not currently available, so i shall be emailing Iceland HQ instead, but in the meantime if you are shopping in there, don't give money to them.

Tags for Forum Posts: iceland, ukcg

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Blimey. No I don't think they were scientologists, they want you to do their "stress test" and look a bit more slick than these two young girls. These girls were all about letting God into your heart, not aliens.
They were probably UCKG (Purple tabards).

UCKG basically infest large parts of North London. On Saturdays, you will see them out and about in Holloway, Finsbury Park, Wood Green and Stamford Hill. And as for Tottenham High Road, You simply cannot move for them and other evangelicals from Afro-Caribbean community churches.

What is interesting to observe about them (and I have done it many times), is that zero in like snipers on fellow Afro-Caribeans and ignore everyone else.

Interesting, perhaps that is why I wasn't got at in Iceland whereas the guy behind me was. So they aren't interested in white sections of communities? Our souls not worth saving? Our bank accounts not worth siphoning off for their good causes? 

South London too. I was visiting a girlfriend in Peckham when we were invited to breakfast by some evangelicals. We politely declined, then as we walked away I said "quick! Hold my hand!" Maybe I was stereotyping but I really hoped they were from a homophobic church.

Does Magnus Magnusson know about this?

I, too, lodged a complaint about them via the Iceland website and was told:

Thank you for contacting us about your recent visit to our Haringey store. I’m sorry for the disappointment this has caused you.

It is the Store Managers discretion to whether organisations and charities are able to bag pack in store. I’ve spoken to the Store Manager who will take your feedback on board.

I’m sorry once again that you have been unhappy with this.

I do hope that you will continue to shop with us and I’m sure that your future visits will be more pleasant.

Kind regards

Lauren Williams

Iceland Customer Care

I replied to Ms Williams via email:

Dear Lauren,

Thank you for your response.

I am not sure whether your company's policy towards allowing managerial discretion on such matters is entirely a sound one.

One of Iceland Food's national charitable partners in 2016 was NYAS, whose mission statement is “A society where every child, young person or vulnerable adult's voice is heard and their rights are respected and where they can achieve their potential.”

In complete contrast, a pastor at The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God - as I said in my previous complaint, a CHURCH not a charity - conducted an exorcism on Victoria Climbie, who was tortured and murdered by her guardians: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1695601.stm

The fundraising efforts of UKCG, apart from providing a means of income for their churches, appear to mainly go on supporting its multi-million-pound evangelical ventures in Brazil and Portugal:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/mar/03/lifeandhealth.fooda...

There has been a long stream of complaints and investigations into the conduct and purpose of the UCKG fundraising arm. It has been removed from other supermarket chains for unethical and misleading methods. In 2013/2014, "fundraisers were found inside branches of Marks & Spencer and Tesco collecting donations or packing bags for money, although both supermarket chains said that the activities contravened their rules... Tesco issued a statement saying: 'We have a long history of working with local charities to fundraise in our stores. In this case, the community voiced strong concerns about the UCKG, so we have removed them from our list of approved groups'." http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2014/01/suspect-fundraising-metho...

Given the evidence, it is shocking that UCKG is still there in the Harringay store today.

If, as you say, the manager at the Harringay branch was contacted regarding the continued presence of UCKG in his store, what was his response? What reason did he give you about why were they invited to be there

Surely, on balance, the name of Iceland Stores and its own ethical reputation are somewhat compromised by the laissez-faire attitude to local managerial discretion?

I look forward to your response,

So far, I have had no reply. Does anyone have an actual working email address for Iceland Foods, or do I have to resort to posting this via the website again (which is cumbersome)?

Well done, I have not had a reply yet. 

I think the next time I see them in the store, I shall just stand there and phone a friend to tell them about it - loudly, very loudly indeed. 

I had a terse conversation with one of their representatives when I first encountered them at the till - I said quite loudly "Do you tell people you are a "church", not a charity?!" which I think rather shocked the Orthodox Jewish man behind me. To no avail, hence my complaint via their website in the first place.

I received a response today along the lines that Iceland are collecting in store for Dementia charities. I have sent the reply back saying that the response is inadequate and outlined the areas I would like covered.

I had contacted them via the CEOs e mail malcolm.walker@iceland.co.uk

however it has taken a week to get a response through the post.

Osbawn - if I wanted to be on Twitter, I would be. However, I am not. I dislike its trivia and the unhealthy "mob" attitude it engenders.

I should try Mr Walker - although as I walked past the Harringay shop this evening, I noticed that the UCKG was not there...

I was in M&S Whetstone yesterday, and was forced to squeeze next to a UCKG 'bag packer', who incidentally didn't offer to pack my bags or do anything other than move her collecting bucket into the middle of the conveyor belt my shopping was coming down and intonate I should be dropping money into it. I have had personal dealings with UCKG before - a very vulnerable and poorly neighbour on benefits and unable to work was told she had to give a percentage of her 'earnings' to the church. They didn't seem to understand that she had no money and forced her to donate - or don't bother coming to church. Its a disgraceful cult, and has no place in our society.

So, I wrote to M&S the following:

I am writing with regards to the charity bag packers you had within your store today. Whilst I do not make a habit of complaining about people who donate their time to help, I will make an exception in this case for the members of UCKG who were approved to be collecting money in your store. 

UCKG is a cult organisation with accusations of fraudulent activity, has had multiple complaints to the Charity Commission regarding their conduct, are notably homophobic, and were shamed and exposed over their involvement in the death of North London child, Victoria Climbie. 

I believe the values of UCKG are not in keeping with the brand values of M&S, and I am disappointed that I have been exposed to them in your store, asked to donate to them and to support them. 

I wholeheartedly do not, and will not support UCKG. Their background is dubious, they prey on and manipulate the most vulnerable in our society, and I am disappointed that the decision was made by M&S to allow members of this cult to be present in their stores at Christmas time, over more suitable charities who promote inclusion and are positive forces in our communities. 

As an inclusive company, and one who I assume follows the guidelines of the Equalities Act 2010, I would like to know why M&S felt approving members of this cult to raise funds for their church, in your stores, was suitable and appropriate - both for your customers and staff alike, and also how the values of UCKG sit with the company values of M&S.

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