An author has been left furious after charity bosses told him to stop telling people he donates money from his books to Cancer Research UK because the jokes are too rude.
Nick Fisher, 54, from Stockport, Lancashire, writes expletive-filled comedy novels – such as ‘Ho F******* Ho – B******* to Christmas’ – and gives 50p for each sale to the cancer charity.
The author, who has raised £600 from sales, was inspired by TV show Grumpy Old Men and has a sticker on the front telling buyers about his charity donation.
Nick Fisher, 54, from Stockport, Lancashire, writes expletive-filled comedy novels – such as ‘Ho F******* Ho – B******* to Christmas’ – and gives 50p for each sale to the cancer charity
But after a disgruntled customer complained to Cancer Research UK, a fundraising executive wrote to Mr Fisher asking him to stop mentioning the charity.
The email said: ‘Cancer Research UK has a duty of care to ensure that our name and branding isn’t linked to any content that may be found offensive to anyone.
‘This, which we understand will not have been your intention, may bring the charity into disrepute.’
Married father-of-two Mr Fisher said: ‘It just looks as if they are quite happy to take donations but they don’t want any association with certain things.
Nick Fisher with his daughters Ella, 14, and Lily, 10, and wife Claudette. The author, who has raised £600 for charity from sales, was inspired by TV show Grumpy Old Men and has a sticker on the front telling buyers about his charity donation
‘I can’t understand the thought process.
‘Are they going to go round vetting everything they sell in the charity shops too?
‘Just look at ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ – I’m sure they sell that and someone would be offended by it.
‘I think Cancer Research’s attitude is pretty bad because if it’s the case that they don’t want the donations full stop then they’re being very ungrateful.
‘If it’s the case that they will accept my donations but they just don’t want people to know they are being associated with books of that kind then they are being hypocritical.
Former bodybuilder and doorman Mr Fisher has written six comedy books.
His most recent book – Ho F******* Ho – B******* to Christmas – was released on Amazon in October.
It sells for £6.99 and is described as ‘a festive ditty that encapsulates just what it is about Christmas that makes most people jolly miserable.’
But after an apparently appalled reader complained to Cancer Research UK, the charity asked him to stop mentioning it, last month.
An email said: ‘While we understand that not everyone will take offence to this content, as a national charity, Cancer Research UK has a duty of care to ensure that our name and branding isn’t linked to any content that may be found offensive to anyone.
‘This, which we understand will not have been your intention, may bring the charity into disrepute.
‘We have to ask that you remove references to ‘Cancer Research UK’ from both your product and your promotional material.’
Mr Fisher has removed the reference, but is now reconsidering whether to continue donating to the charity.
Mr Fisher added: ‘It’s a bit cheeky of them, saying ‘we will have your money but don’t tell anyone’.
‘I think if it was me in that position I would side with the person fundraising rather than the person complaining.
‘If you asked anyone who was suffering from cancer if they were bothered that donations came from a book that had a few swear words in it and a picture of Santa on the cover with his bollocks hanging out, none of them would care less.’
A spokesperson at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘At Cancer Research UK, we rely entirely on donations from the public to fund our life-saving research and we’re grateful to all of our supporters who choose to fundraise for us in all sorts of different ways.
‘We’re careful not to promote materials that may be considered offensive and we take any complaints we get very seriously. We can’t discuss individual cases that are being investigated.’