missdipple
09-06-2008, 07:42 PM
Just received this email from the chicken out campaign. I think Tesco's behaviour is disgraceful, so I've pasted the email here for anyone who might want to get involved.
hugh@chickenout.tv http://www.chickenout.tv/major-announcement2.html
“Ker-ching! That’ll be £86,888 please...”
A few weeks ago I submitted a resolution to Tesco plc with the support of 102 shareholders representing some 3.7 million ordinary shares. The resolution challenges Tesco’s claims about poultry welfare, and urges them to set new minimum welfare standards, including lower stocking densities and more environmental stimuli for the birds.
Now Tesco have told me that they will only take our resolution to the AGM if I meet the cost of distributing the relevant papers to their shareholders. They are entitled to waive this fee, and we have requested that they do so, in the interest of shareholder democracy, but they have declined. In other words, the resolution is dead in the water unless I pay them £86,888 to print and post the papers out to all 269,000 Tesco shareholders.
Tesco is the biggest retailer in the country and they can make the biggest difference to the lives of hundreds of millions of chickens. And so I’m determined, along with my fellow supporting shareholders and Chicken Out campaigners, to pursue this resolution. So I’m putting my money where my mouth is to take this issue all the way to the Tesco AGM on June 27th.
I’m going to start the ball rolling by putting £30k of my own money into the pot. And, with your help, I’m hoping to raise the rest of the money by selling myself, and my services, as well as by appealing to other Tesco shareholders and supporters of our resolution.
We need to raise the remaining £56,888 by noon, this Wednesday 11th June.
And that’s where you come in. The River Cottage team and I have put together a bespoke selection of top notch prizes which will be auctioned over the next couple of days. The auction will take place by confidential sealed bids on line. Whoever bids the highest amount for each item by noon on Wednesday 11 June 2008 will win the prize in question. To enter please send your bid in a simple email to chicken@keofilms.com stating which prize you’re bidding for, the maximum sum you’re prepared to pay, your name, and a contact telephone number. All entrants must be over 18 years of age.
If you would like to make a simple donation to the fund, as well as or instead of bidding in the auction, you can do so through the Compassion in World Farming Website. CIWF have supported our campaign and resolution from the start, and have agreed to process donations without any administrative charge.
In other words, the full amount for all successful bids and donations will be passed on to the action fund. We undertake that all expenses for processing bids and donations, administering the fund and fulfilling the auction prizes will be met either by River Cottage, or Compassion in World Farming, or by Hugh personally.
Thanks for your support and good luck!
www.chickenout.tv
Hugh will come to your house and cook a delicious free range roast chicken dinner, (guaranteed not bought at Tesco’s) for the successful bidder and up to five friends. And he’ll put a nice chicken stock on the hob for you before he leaves…
Here’s our fantasy auctioneer to get you in the mood:
“Let’s start the bidding for this at £5,000... Thank you, Delia! Sir Terry Leahy and the Tesco board of directors enter the bidding at six thousand pounds…who’s going to stop them eating one of Hugh’s chickens? Do I hear seven? Gordon?? Gordon???”
(Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue to be within UK mainland, except by special arrangement.)
The successful bidder and up to seven friends will come to River Cottage HQ for a guided tour of the farm (paying special attention to the chickens!) This will be followed by a chicken cooking demonstration from River Cottage chef Gill Mellor, and a free range chicken-and-egg lunch or supper in the farmhouse. Hugh will join you and your party for part of the event.
(1/2 day event: morning and lunch, or afternoon and supper. Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue River Cottage HQ, East Devon)
The River Cottage crew will take the successful bidder and up to seven friends out on a boat from Lyme Regis harbour for a morning of sea fishing. Then you and your party will come back to River Cottage HQ for a cooking demonstration and a fish feast prepared from your catch by the River Cottage kitchen team. Hugh will join you for part of the day.
(Full day event: morning fishing; cooking demonstration; early fish supper. Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue Lyme Regis, West Dorset and River Cottage HQ, East Devon)
A table for six at the River Cottage canteen, Axminster, Devon, where you will be served three courses all made from a single River Cottage Free range Chicken. There’ll be pudding too – made from Hugh’s own eggs – and Hugh will join you and your party for a drink at the beginning of the evening.
(One lunch or dinner for six. Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue River Cottage Canteen Axminster, East Devon.)
A dedicated, signed copy of the paperback edition of Hugh’s collected writing, Hugh Fearlessly Eats It all, published by Bloomsbury last year.
There are 100 copies to be bid for. In other words, the highest 100 bids for this lot will all receive a signed dedicated book.
(Please specify to whom you would like the book, dedicated).
Full details of the auction terms and conditions can be found here.
You can also fax your bids for any item to 0207 490 8419.
If you are no longer interested in receiving this type of information, or have received it in error, please click here.
hugh@chickenout.tv http://www.chickenout.tv/major-announcement2.html
“Ker-ching! That’ll be £86,888 please...”
A few weeks ago I submitted a resolution to Tesco plc with the support of 102 shareholders representing some 3.7 million ordinary shares. The resolution challenges Tesco’s claims about poultry welfare, and urges them to set new minimum welfare standards, including lower stocking densities and more environmental stimuli for the birds.
Now Tesco have told me that they will only take our resolution to the AGM if I meet the cost of distributing the relevant papers to their shareholders. They are entitled to waive this fee, and we have requested that they do so, in the interest of shareholder democracy, but they have declined. In other words, the resolution is dead in the water unless I pay them £86,888 to print and post the papers out to all 269,000 Tesco shareholders.
Tesco is the biggest retailer in the country and they can make the biggest difference to the lives of hundreds of millions of chickens. And so I’m determined, along with my fellow supporting shareholders and Chicken Out campaigners, to pursue this resolution. So I’m putting my money where my mouth is to take this issue all the way to the Tesco AGM on June 27th.
I’m going to start the ball rolling by putting £30k of my own money into the pot. And, with your help, I’m hoping to raise the rest of the money by selling myself, and my services, as well as by appealing to other Tesco shareholders and supporters of our resolution.
We need to raise the remaining £56,888 by noon, this Wednesday 11th June.
And that’s where you come in. The River Cottage team and I have put together a bespoke selection of top notch prizes which will be auctioned over the next couple of days. The auction will take place by confidential sealed bids on line. Whoever bids the highest amount for each item by noon on Wednesday 11 June 2008 will win the prize in question. To enter please send your bid in a simple email to chicken@keofilms.com stating which prize you’re bidding for, the maximum sum you’re prepared to pay, your name, and a contact telephone number. All entrants must be over 18 years of age.
If you would like to make a simple donation to the fund, as well as or instead of bidding in the auction, you can do so through the Compassion in World Farming Website. CIWF have supported our campaign and resolution from the start, and have agreed to process donations without any administrative charge.
In other words, the full amount for all successful bids and donations will be passed on to the action fund. We undertake that all expenses for processing bids and donations, administering the fund and fulfilling the auction prizes will be met either by River Cottage, or Compassion in World Farming, or by Hugh personally.
Thanks for your support and good luck!
www.chickenout.tv
Hugh will come to your house and cook a delicious free range roast chicken dinner, (guaranteed not bought at Tesco’s) for the successful bidder and up to five friends. And he’ll put a nice chicken stock on the hob for you before he leaves…
Here’s our fantasy auctioneer to get you in the mood:
“Let’s start the bidding for this at £5,000... Thank you, Delia! Sir Terry Leahy and the Tesco board of directors enter the bidding at six thousand pounds…who’s going to stop them eating one of Hugh’s chickens? Do I hear seven? Gordon?? Gordon???”
(Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue to be within UK mainland, except by special arrangement.)
The successful bidder and up to seven friends will come to River Cottage HQ for a guided tour of the farm (paying special attention to the chickens!) This will be followed by a chicken cooking demonstration from River Cottage chef Gill Mellor, and a free range chicken-and-egg lunch or supper in the farmhouse. Hugh will join you and your party for part of the event.
(1/2 day event: morning and lunch, or afternoon and supper. Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue River Cottage HQ, East Devon)
The River Cottage crew will take the successful bidder and up to seven friends out on a boat from Lyme Regis harbour for a morning of sea fishing. Then you and your party will come back to River Cottage HQ for a cooking demonstration and a fish feast prepared from your catch by the River Cottage kitchen team. Hugh will join you for part of the day.
(Full day event: morning fishing; cooking demonstration; early fish supper. Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue Lyme Regis, West Dorset and River Cottage HQ, East Devon)
A table for six at the River Cottage canteen, Axminster, Devon, where you will be served three courses all made from a single River Cottage Free range Chicken. There’ll be pudding too – made from Hugh’s own eggs – and Hugh will join you and your party for a drink at the beginning of the evening.
(One lunch or dinner for six. Date to be agreed between successful bidder and Hugh. Venue River Cottage Canteen Axminster, East Devon.)
A dedicated, signed copy of the paperback edition of Hugh’s collected writing, Hugh Fearlessly Eats It all, published by Bloomsbury last year.
There are 100 copies to be bid for. In other words, the highest 100 bids for this lot will all receive a signed dedicated book.
(Please specify to whom you would like the book, dedicated).
Full details of the auction terms and conditions can be found here.
You can also fax your bids for any item to 0207 490 8419.
If you are no longer interested in receiving this type of information, or have received it in error, please click here.