BBC Watchdog Investigation Airs

On Wednesday 17 September, Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) appeared on BBC One’s The One Show as part of a Watchdog investigation into a website that falsely claimed to support our charity.

The site used RBLI’s name, reputation and, most concerningly, images of three of our beneficiaries, to promote products it claimed were made by veterans, with profits supposedly supporting our work. In reality, the site has no connection to us. The products are not made by those we support, and none of the proceeds come to RBLI.

RBLI is an independent charity and receives no funding from national Remembrance events- every penny is raised through our own efforts. One of the ways we do this is through retail, where profits are reinvested to create long-term, supportive jobs for veterans and people with disabilities in our social enterprise factories and retail operations.

We were made aware of the site shortly before the BBC investigation and had taken action to report it to the relevant authorities.

We’d like to thank the BBC Watchdog team for their respectful coverage. Their support helped shine a light on this issue and gave us a platform to protect our community and reinforce public trust.

We’re especially grateful to Steve Hammond, our Veterans Relations and Brand Manager, and one of the beneficiaries whose photo was used by the fake website. He gave a thoughtful and powerful interview during filming. He spoke with pride about the work RBLI does and the importance of supporting us through trusted channels. His contribution helped bring the issue to life and reflected the values we all stand for.

If you or anyone you know is unsure about a website claiming to support RBLI, please contact Stuart McClure directly. The only official retail site is rbli.shop.

We thank our wider community for their continued vigilance and support.

Contact: [email protected]