The Norwich Homeopathic Clinic

The British Homeopathic Association have today been tweeting about an exciting new attempt to bring quackery to the people of Norfolk.

(Screenshot from this link)

The "Facebook Group" mentioned is Focus on Homeopathy, chaired by one Lisa Peacock.

(Screenshot from this link)

Today Lisa was able to announce that the Norwich Homeopathic Clinic has finally opened its doors.

"Norwich Homeopathic Clinic opens on Tuesday 10th May at the Humbleyard Centre in Norwich. The clinic will run every other Tuesday from 9am - 1pm and is run on a charitable basis (i.e. you will be asked to make a donation at your appointment)."

It would be easy to imagine that this clinic, which Lisa says runs on a "charitable basis", was an actual charity.

Predictably, though, it is not. You won't find it mentioned anywhere on the Charity Commission's list of registered charities.

Soliciting donations for an illegitimate charity, eh, Lisa? Some people will do anything for money.

Update: The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) have commented, via Twitter, "The clinic is run by the BHA which is a registered charity,it was funded by a legacy donation sent to the BHA". Astute readers may have spotted that Lisa Peacock said "So the charity if you like is the Norwich Homeopathic Clinic".

ASA complaint follows!

"The Facebook page makes a number of claims about the charitable status of the advertiser which I suspect are misleading.

1. ( http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=165103700216014&id=8610841917&notif_t=share_reply )

"Norwich Homeopathic Clinic opens on Tuesday 10th May at the Humbleyard Centre in Norwich. The clinic will run every other Tuesday from 9am - 1pm and is run on a charitable basis (i.e. you will be asked to make a donation at your appointment)."

2. ( http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=165103700216014&id=8610841917&notif_t=share_reply )

"I don't work there myself but the clinic can only run thanks to charitable donations."

3. ( http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=165103700216014&id=8610841917&notif_t=share_reply )

"Basically Dr Borbely comes in every other Tuesday as a homeopathic doctor and treats patients who will be asked to make a donation when they come for their appointment. I believe some counselling services are funded in the same way. So the charity if you like is the Norwich Homeopathic Clinic."

I'd like to challenge whether the claim that "Norwich Homeopathic Clinic...run[s] on a charitable basis" is misleading.

I think that most consumers would associate the term "on a charitable basis" with a registered charity, and I think they would feel disappointed were they to learn that the Norwich Homeopathic Clinic is not, in fact, a registered charity.

I've made some screenshots of the relevant pages, which are available at:
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=dsGVU97k4M
http://leicester.skepticsinthepub.org/FishBarrel/ci.aspx?id=dsGVU97k4M

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."