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The National Consumer Federation |
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BackgroundThe National Consumer Federation (NCF) was formed in 2001 by the amalgamation of Consumer Congress and the National Federation of Consumer Groups (NfCG). It encourages and co-ordinates the work of voluntary, independent local Consumer Groups, Individual Consumers and those who have an interest in Consumer Affairs through other organisations. It represents their views nationally. NCF and the local Groups are non-party political and non-profit making. NCF is a registered charity and a company limited by Guarantee. NfCG was established in I963 to bring together local
Consumer Groups which were first set up from 1961 with the encouragement of Consumers'
Association, publishers of Which?. The NfCG
Individual Membership scheme was introduced in 1977 for people who do not live near enough
to a Group. Consumer Congress was a separate organisation, funded by government
which organised an annual
Our President is Baroness Wilcox of Plymouth, (left) who is a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Consumer Affairs and the Environment where she is Shadow Secretary of State.
Our Chairman is Helena
Our aims To educate and inform consumers for the public benefit, with reference to the key guiding principles of Choice, Information, Representation, Access to goods and services, Quality, Fairness, Safety and Redress, by all or any of the following means:
Local Consumer Groups Local Consumer Groups in towns from Aberdeen to Plymouth investigate and campaign on a wide range of issues of concern to local people in their communities and seek improvements in local services and facilities - shopping, transport, health care, recreational, public conveniences - you name it, they do it! All publish a regular newsletter for their members. Group members volunteer their time and pay subscriptions for the general good. Associates The Federation's Associates include major suppliers of goods and services. Interaction with these organisations encompasses dialogue on trading practices and allows the Federation to shape their views and so improve opportunities for them and the consumer in the market place. Who pays?The Federation is self-supporting, mainly through its membership income. A consumer voice?Consumer Groups provide a good training ground for people who can go on to make a contribution in consultative and advisory bodies at local, regional or national level. Bodies covering areas such as the Post Office, Food, the Courts and Health, use NCF as an effective filter for new user committee members. Wider HorizonsMembers with a particular interest or expertise may belong to NCF Policy Groups, led by a co-ordinator who collects and disseminates information and will align views for consultative responses, Existing NCF Policy Groups cover Utilities, Communications, Financial Services, Environment, and Food amongst others. This WebsiteWe revised and updated this website in 2007 to give wider publicity to matters undertaken by the Federation and to extend its reach. Our interests lie in making the voice of the consumer heard, at Local, National and European level. We publish our quarterly Consumer News magazine as well as our monthly email newsletter, to inform readers on matters of interest to them.
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Our Registered Office is at Wey House 15 Church
Street Weybridge KT13 8NA
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Congress on Consumer Matters. Its members were mainly
larger organisations, including Trading Standards departments, and the likes of
Age Concern and bodies representing disabled groups.