Friends urge National Trust to ditch Barclays

Friends took part in the ‘Bank Better’ national week of action, from 27 July to 3 August, and urged the National Trust to stop banking with Barclays

Quakers took part in climate witness at forty sites this month, urging the National Trust to ditch Barclays Bank.

The ‘Bank Better’ national week of action, from 27 July to 3 August, targeted National Trust sites including Ham House in west London, Corfe Castle in Bournemouth, Grey’s Court in Henley-on-Thames, and Wentworth Castle in south Yorkshire. There was also witness at the spot where the Magna Carta was signed, and Chartwell in Kent, the family home and garden of Winston Churchill. Many of the actions held over the week were held by Christians, including members of the clergy, from the group Christian Climate Action (CCA), as well as National Trust staff, volunteers and members. Events included a parade at the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, and a ‘punting protest’ through Bathampton Meadows in Bath. Meanwhile, other groups held ‘protest picnics’ or witnessed with drummers and singers.

Alison Meaton, from Penzance Meeting, who took part in the campaign, said: ‘Cornwall Quakers for Climate Justice are disappointed that the National Trust banks with Barclays. Barclays Bank invests huge amounts of money in fossil fuels. We also recognise that climate justice and demilitarisation are intrinsically linked. Barclays provides billions of pounds’ worth of investment and loans to arms companies selling weapons and military technology.’

Quaker Kingsley Belton, who visited Tyntesfield National Trust site as part of the witness, said: ‘I am a member of the National Trust, whose mission is to preserve our amazing heritage and protect many of our favourite places for future generations. They state that “every penny goes towards looking after nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever”. However they continue to bank with Barclays, the biggest funders of fossil fuel companies in Europe. These multinational corporations are continuing to pour carbon dioxide into our atmosphere at an alarming rate.’

 CCA said that: ‘Last year Barclays provided over £17.5 billion to fossil fuel companies driving up emissions and pollution, a 10% increase on the year before, and a total of £182 billion since 2016 .’

Christian Aid, the Greenbelt Festival and Sheffield Cathedral have already announced that they are dropping the bank due to its climate change record. About one third of Church of England dioceses bank with Barclays, and CCA began a campaign earlier this year to encourage a switch. 

A spokesperson for the National Trust said they were aware of the strong feeling on this issue from members: ‘The National Trust fully understands the urgency needed to find solutions to the climate crisis and the strength of feeling about this among some of our supporters.

‘We welcomed Barclays’ announcement that they will stop direct financing to clients engaged in oil and gas expansion, and that they will require their clients in the energy sector to prepare climate transition plans. It is critically important that we continue to engage with the banking sector to do more and faster to reduce financed emissions.’

In May, Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) also urged the bank to stop investing in companies supplying arms to Israel.

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