CAATnews Feb-March 2007 - CAAT Cash

Fundraising

By Kathryn Busby

About two weeks ago you will have received an appeal letter from all the staff at CAAT asking you to make a donation to support our legal challenge against the Government. You may also have noticed that in this issue of CAATnews we include a donation form. Here, once again, I reiterate the need for your financial support.

When CAAT heard of the government’s decision to drop the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into BAE Systems’ arms deals with Saudi Arabia, we were outraged at its blatant disregard for the rule of law. We are determined to take them to judicial review and overturn the decision.

The legal challenge will form a huge part of our work on this issue, but there is so much more campaigning that also needs to take place. This is an opportunity to expose the true nature of the arms trade – the endemic corruption, the shameful deals with oppressive regimes and the massive influence of arms companies over government.

This is why it is so important that you support us, because 80 per cent of CAAT’s money comes from people such as you and we need extra resources to help us take these campaigning opportunities and win this case. Please support us if you can, either by returning the form enclosed or by sending a cheque (payable to CAAT) or by visiting www.caat.org.uk/fundraising and making a secure online donation.

Workers Beer Company
If you are interested in volunteering for CAAT with the Workers Beer Company (WBC) this summer, now is the time to get in touch. Each year the WBC runs beer tents at the major music festivals including Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading. Charities, trade unions and voluntary organisations provide volunteers to work in the tents as servers and the wages they earn are donated to the organisation they represent. In 2006, CAAT volunteers raised over £1,800 from WBC events. I’d like to thank all of them for their commitment and support.

Being a volunteer has many benefits, including free entry to the festival, free travel and a higher than average standard of camping facilities and showers!

So if you would be interested in taking part, then please email me at kathryn@caat.org.uk or call 020 7281 0297.