Children's charity rejects Justin Welby's Christmas donation over values clash

In the United Kingdom, The Children’s Society, an independent charity operating under the Church of England, publicly announced its refusal to accept a Christmas donation from Justin Welby, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury. This decision was made in light of Welby’s resignation following a report that detailed failures in addressing child abuse scandals within the Church. The charity, deeply committed to supporting survivors of abuse, indicated that accepting the donation would contradict its principles and values. The independent review criticized Welby for not formally reporting serial abuser John Smyth in 2013, which might have enabled legal action against him. This rejection is particularly significant as it underscores the ongoing fallout from the Church of England's handling of abuse cases that have surfaced over the years. Welby’s leadership has been marked by controversy due to revelations about the Church's inadequate response to allegations of abuse, leading to strong sentiments from various advocacy groups and survivors’ networks. In a separate instance, prior to the charity's decision, Welby sparked outrage during a farewell speech in the House of Lords, where he appeared to downplay the Church's safeguarding failures, further amplifying public and community distrust. The Children’s Society emphasized their focus on providing support to victims of child sexual abuse and expressed shock at the findings of the Makin report, which influenced their choice. They reiterated their commitment to fostering a safer environment for children within the church and society at large. The charity's leadership, including Mark Russell, stated that the Church must take significant steps to reassess its approach to safeguarding practices, ensuring real accountability and a genuine culture of care. Responses from external observers have highlighted the urgency for the Church of England to regain trust among those it seeks to protect. Survivors of abuse have called for a complete overhaul in the Church’s operations and emphasized the necessity for a transparent and accountable leadership structure. In light of this, it has become evident that accepting funds from individuals closely linked to these scandals can complicate the missions of charities focused on support and rehabilitation in the abuse sector. The refusal of The Children’s Society to accept Welby’s donation represents a stance on prioritizing the welfare of abuse survivors over monetary contributions that carry troubling implications related to the source.