independent Cornish news and comment

NO ST GEORGE'S FLAG ON WIMPEY'S CORNISH SITES!

In what was initially greeted as yet another attempt to force English patriotism and imperialism on Cornwall has surprisingly turned out to be a PR oversight and the company has written to Cornish campaigner Phillipa Mills apologising for any offence caused. In addition the housing developers, who are one of the largest housebuilders in the UK and have a number of sites in Cornwall, have promised to "withdraw the press release" and to issue another one containing an apologising."


An email sent by Mills to the Customer Services Dept at Wimpey Head Office regarding the proposed St Georges Day promotion was passed to Janine Davey for attention. Davey said that it was "certainly not the intention" of Wimpey Homes to cause offence. The letter sent by Mills and the response she received from Davey can be found below:

"FAO Mr P Johnson & Mr John Robinson

Dear Sirs,

With regard to the proposed promotion of St George on 23rd April 2008 by Wimpey Homes staff:

I do hope that you will not be promoting the English St George in Kernow (Cornwall) on this day for obvious reasons:

1 Cornwall's Patron Saint is St Piran, NOT St George; If the English wish to observe their saint day privately, that is a matter of personal choice, but it is treated not as civic occasion in Cornwall, a Celtic Duchy.

2 It could possibly contravene the EU charter, ratified and accepted by the British Government in 2002, that the Cornish Language is acknowledged and promoted, and its Culture identity (Celtic and non-English)be acknowledged.

3 You are contravening your own corporate guidelines

"Wimpey are committed to responsible corporate behaviour"; simply by not showing respect for the Indigenous community in which you are building and making a profit from.

I would be grateful of a response on this issue.

Yours sincerely

Philippa Mills"


"Janine Davey
Associate Sales & Marketing Director
George Wimpey Exeter
A Taylor Wimpey Company
Suite 1 Second Floor
Osprey House
Osprey Road
Exeter
EX2 7WN

(T) 01392 440670
(F) 01392 440680

Janine.davey@...


Dear Ms Mills

Your e mail sent to our Customer Services Dept at Head Office regarding the proposed St Georges Day promotion has been passed to me for attention.

I apologise if this has caused any offence, it was certainly not our intention.

The press release regarding the St Georges Day promotion was sent out by our PR agency to all regional newspapers without consideration of any local issues such as the ones you have highlighted.

I have asked our PR company to withdraw the press release and to issue another one apologising for any offence we might have caused.

Yours sincerely

Janine Davey
Associate Sales & Marketing Director"

(Article prepared for Celtic News by Rhisiart Tal-e-bot)

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

22/04/08