Many people want to support charities which do not go against their pro-life values. This updated guide has been prepared to help you in deciding which charities you would like to support.
The Traffic Light Guide includes only the stated or known stance and activities of the charities listed. The following ranking system is used to score the charities:
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Action Against Allergy
Green
In a letter dated 23 /11/2018, this charity stated: “In response to your question about human embryo experimentation, our position is negative. We focus on allergy management and we don’t support any research or experimentation beyond the diagnosis and treatment of allergies and allergy-related illness”.
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Action Against Hunger
Red
In a letter dated 13/2/2019 this charity stated: “We are trying to increase the public’s knowledge about our health activities, as there is a common perception that we purely focus on nutrition. As we reinforce health systems in the countries we support, reproductive health services play a big part, as we cannot fight hunger without supporting access to family planning.
“In summary, we actively promote family planning and support health services that are already in place with their family planning services, as well as childbirth at primary care level, but not above hospital level where we will only refer women in need.” -
Action Cancer
Green
Action Cancer, Northern Ireland’s leading local cancer charity stated in a letter dated 17/1/2019: “We do not fund scientific research so do not have any policies around research using either animals or human embryos.”
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Action for Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T)
a.k.a. Action for A-T
Amber
Ataxia-telangiectasia is a rare genetic degenerative disease of childhood, which affects multiple systems of the body. In a letter dated 21/1/2019 this charity stated: “From a scientific perspective, it is believed that human embryonic stem cell research could offer hope for thousands of people living with complex genetic conditions, but … this type of research is highly contentious. As such, we have not funded any research in this particular area to date and have no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.”
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Action for Children
Green
In a letter dated 10/6/2019, this charity responded to questions about contraception and abortion stating: “… as we do not run these types of services it wouldn’t be an area where we have any expertise, therefore we do not have a policy on this type of work. Our work focuses more on where we can add value from knowledge we gain from working with children, young people as well as families.”
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Action for Stammering Children
Unknown status
We do not currently have details for this charity.
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Action Medical Research
Red
A policy statement on this organisation’s website included the following:
“Scientists believe that future medical progress will be achieved by undertaking research in all types of human stem cells, including very early embryos. Research involving embryonic stem cells is subject to stringent regulations by various government agencies, to ensure work adheres to the highest standards. Action Medical Research will consider funding stem cell research that involves human embryonic stem cells providing it follows these strict UK regulatory guidelines.”
https://www.action.org.uk/about-us/policy-statements -
Action on Addiction
Green
In a letter dated 31/8/2018 the Chief Executive of Action on Addiction stated: “Action on Addiction is not involved in (and to my knowledge never has been involved in) human embryo experimentation.”
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ActionAid
Red
In a letter dated 7/12/2018 Action Aid stated: “we feel that as a responsible development agency working in the poorer countries of the world, birth control is one of the areas which should be addressed in our projects.”
“ActionAid believes that every woman has a right to make safe, informed reproductive health choices. This includes access to safe and legal abortion services. No woman should have to risk her life, her health, her fertility, her well-being or the well-being of her family because she lacks reproductive health information or care. We believe all women everywhere have the right to manage their own fertility and be fully informed of their options when making decisions about reproductive health. This includes access to safe and legal abortion to terminate an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy.” -
Afasic
Green
In a letter dated 19/8/2019 this charity stated: “Afasic is a charity that supports families with children who have speech and language problems and has no connection whatsoever with abortion services; research on human embryos or campaigns to assist dying.”
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Against Breast Cancer
Amber
In a letter dated 21 January 2019, the chief executive of this charity wrote: “Thank you for your letter regarding research using human embryos. I can confirm that we do not fund this type of research and will not have activity in this area in the future”.
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Age UK
Unknown status
In a letter dated 7/9/2018 this charity stated that “it is not for us to take a view on an issue of conscience like assisted dying and we therefore do not carry out or support any work related to this topic”. In SPUC’s view this charity is overlooking a dangerous threat to elderly people.
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Aids Care Education and Training
a.k.a. acet UK
Red
This is a Christian charity with “a mission to equip and inspire individuals, schools, churches and organisations, in the UK and internationally, to transform culture by promoting healthy self-esteem, positive relationships and good sexual health”. In a letter dated 14/9/2018, Acet UK stated that topics delivered include relationships, sex, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and contraception. They do not deliver a lesson on abortion. However, in the UK some of their partners “provide information on contraception and reproductive health and signpost to local services”.
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Alcohol Change UK
Green
This charity does not fund biomedical research.
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/research-hub/alcohol-research-grants/what-we-fund -
Allergy UK
Green
In a letter dated 31/5/2019 this charity stated: “The mission of our charity is to improve the lives of people living with allergic disease and our work is very much based on raising awareness and driving education about allergic disease and the impacts it can have on quality of life.” The charity confirmed that it is “not involved” in embryo research, sexual health services or assisted suicide.