‘Stop banking with Barclays’ says activist Jo Ripley to the National Trust at a protest in Avebury

Marlborough activist Jo Ripley was at Avebury last Saturday (3 August) to support the movement calling on the National Trust to stop banking with Barclays, regarded by many as the largest funder of fossil fuels in Europe. She said the response was overwhelmingly positive from those visiting.

Barclays Bank has become a focal point for Climate Change protestors. Charities such as Christian Aid and Oxfam have backed this call with their own action and, as Jo states, “Despite its leadership in conservation, wildlife protection, its statement that ‘Climate change is the biggest threat to the coastline, countryside and historic buildings we care for’, the National Trust continues to bank with an institution that finances the destruction of the very environments it seeks to protect.”

Whilst being a great supporter of The National Trust – “We have all been clear that we love what the National Trust is doing” says Jo, she adds that “Many of us are National Trust members”, and that “volunteers at many sites, including at Avebury, have willingly taken the leaflets and are both surprised and shocked at the Trust banking with a ‘fossil fuel’ bank.”

Jo says that “by highlighting the relationship that the Trust has with Barclays, we hope we are helping them!”