# Irish cancer charity rejects corporate donation over tobacco link

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/02/25/irish-cancer-charity-rejects-corporate-donation-tobacco-link/
- Published: 2015-02-25T12:12:44+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

The Irish Cancer Society has told law firm Arthur Cox that it will no longer accept
donations from the company because of its work with tobacco company Japan Tobacco
Ireland (JTI).

For the last two years the [Irish Cancer Society](http://www.cancer.ie) (ICS) has
received €20,000 from Arthur Cox which is one of Ireland’s ‘Big Five’ corporate 
legal advisers. ICS’s actions follows the law firm’s work with JTI to prevent the
introduction of plain packaging on cigarette packs.

“Because Arthur Cox are now leading a legal action, which has the clear aim of preventing
the enactment of legislation which we consider crucial to the prevention of cancer,
we will therefore now decline any offer of a corporate donation from Arthur Cox,”
ICS told the Irish Times.

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**Up in smoke: Irish Cancer Society’s principled decision will lose them €20,000
a year from a major law firm.**

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Mark Mellett, Head of Fundraising at ICS, explained
the charity’s reaction to the law firm’s work with the tobacco company:

> “It’s not in line with what we do, which is preventing cancer and we see this 
> as a direct attack on a key initiative.”

ICS and the Irish Heart Foundation have played a leading role in the fight to introduce
plain packaging.

However, [according to the Irish Times](http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/irish-cancer-society-to-reject-donations-from-arthur-cox-1.2114689),
ICS’ list of corporate partners in 2013 included “solicitors A&L Goodbody, which
worked on legal challenges against Irish and EU legislation to ban tobacco advertising,
and solicitors Matheson, whose clients include tobacco giant Philip Morris”.

On the [community section](http://www.arthurcox.com/who-we-are/community/) of its
website Arthur Cox says it also supports the Hospice Foundation, Barretstown and
the Laura Lynn Foundation. No date for the next anticipated donation to ICS was 
specified.

 

_Main photo: [cigarettes and euro notes](http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-141058456/stock-photo-one-hundred-euro-bills-and-cigarette.html)
by Family Business on Shutterstock.com_

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