A veterans’ fundraising community interest company and its directors have been fined thousands of pounds by magistrates for a second time this year for licence breaches.

This latest set of fines also follows criticism of the organisation by the Fundraising Regulator earlier this month.

We R Blighty CIC and two of its directors have been told to pay fines and costs totalling £3,640 by City of London magistrates for collecting donations without a licence in London’s Square Mile earlier this year.

At a hearing at the magistrates court this month its founder Ben Mills admitted six offences, while its director Danielle Vidler admitted five offences. They also admitted six breaches on behalf of the company itself.

The CIC has been fined £1,200 and there were individual fines for Mills of £240 and for Vidler of £220.

The company was also ordered to pay legal costs of £1,500 and a victim surcharge of £480.

This is the second time in 2025 the CIC and its directors have been before the magistrates’ court for licensing breaches.

Earlier this year Mills and Vidler had pleaded to guilty to 14 offences each between August 2024 and February this year. They and the company were ordered to pay fines totalling £1,792 and costs of £1,700.

City of London Corporation, which brought the cases, points out that at the time of the latest offences, Mills and Vidler “were aware that legal proceedings had commenced” for the earlier case, which came to court in June.

“As a veteran of 17 years’ service, I understand how important it is to support reputable veterans’ charities, especially at a time of year when we remember the service and sacrifice of the men and women who fought and died representing our country,” said chair of the City of London Corporation’s licensing committee John Fletcher.

"Their quiet, dignified approach is in stark contrast to the way We R Blighty go about their business, and the shameless way in which they carried on collecting despite repeated warnings and an impending court case.”

He added: “This conviction is testament to the diligent work of our licensing and City Solicitors teams and sends out a clear message that we won’t tolerate unlicensed collections on the streets of the Square Mile.”

This month We R Blighty CIC was found in multiple breaches of the Fundraising Code, relating to behaviour of fundraisers, informing donors and around licensing and contracts.

“There was also enough information available for us to conclude on balance that some fundraisers for the CIC acted in an aggressive and unprofessional way towards both potential donors and public officials,” said the regulator.

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