3049 of us have signed this petition. Thank you.

Thank you for standing up for decency; for what is just and for exercising your right to stand up in the face of what is effectively an abuse of power and corporate greed and saying “NO Age UK- This is not acceptable”. 

3049 shows that an awful lot of people  feel upset and  aggrieved by what Age UK are doing.

Alasdair Stewart (pictured) is Age UK’s Director of National Services.  His photo appears on all his emails. This is the man who is a cog in the machine that is Age UK.
This is the man that is ignoring the 3049 people on this petition, who in a single phone call dismissed out of hand another charity’s offer to take over the running of Woodcot. Alasdair Stewart is doing the dirty work for Age UK while Paul Farmer CEO and the other Directors sit back and wait for the coffers to fill.

The Age UK trustees are looking the other way. Shame on them.  

 On Thursday September 25th Alasdair Stewart had an informal ( unofficial) phone conversation with the CEO of the substantial regional charity that has offered to take over Woodcot. Not interested, would sum up Age UK’s response to that meeting. 

Word has it that during that  conversation Mr Stewart was adamant that Age UK would not consider:

* passing Woodcot on to another charity. ( Bit rich considering that that was how they acquired it). 
 
* that nothing would happen before 2026 ( this begs the question - why can’t they tell us now?) 

 * that Age UK lawyers say that they have a very strong position. (No doubt they do. Lawyers won’t bite the hand that feeds them especially when the paymaster is a national charity with pockets as deep as Age UK’s.  For the lawyers the gravy train keeps on rolling.)

At no point in the phone conversation did Mr Stewart ask about the regional charity. At no point did he consider the impact on Salcombe and at no point did he mention the six remaining residents.

The only conclusion that can be drawn is simply that he doesn’t care.

Mr Stewart and the other AgeUK executives behind this decision- have pound signs in their eyes. Selling Woodcot is an easy win.
They are so powerful, so self assured, so certain of their own success, so certain that they will win and get this over the finish line. They are just playing for time.

Lying to anyone who asks - saying that nothing has changed since they set out their stall back in May of this year.

That is not true. Something has changed. Another charity has been turned away. 

A charity that could have kept the six remaining residents in their home; a charity that would have opened Woodcot up to more people  in need. A charity that would bring jobs, homes and access to Woodcot’s beautiful grounds  to Salcombe. 

Age UK are bullish. They would prefer it if the campaign to Save Woodcot would just die down quietly and meanwhile let them get on with the  business of overturning the covenant and quietly doing a deal behind closed doors while they betray the wishes of the woman who gave them their good fortune.

3049 people are not do easy to ignore.

Please  keep signing keep sharing and keep donating.

Thankyou.