Ground-Level Activist Funding — UK Far-Right
Ground-Level Activist Funding — UK Far-Right
Last updated: 2026-06-14
Overview
This document covers the small-scale, informal, and street-level funding that sustains UK far-right activism — as distinct from the billionaire/electoral pipeline documented in the main research. Ground-level funding is harder to track but forms the operational bedrock for street movements, legal defense, and day-to-day organising.
1. Crowdfunding Platforms
GiveSendGo (US Christian Platform)
The most important platform for UK far-right crowdfunding after deplatforming from GoFundMe, JustGiving, and PayPal.
Known UK campaigns:
- PA member Costello: £3,379 raised via GiveSendGo, described as "political prisoner". Campaign set up by Samuel Melia (known PA member). Source: The Ferret, Aug 2024.
- Tommy Robinson legal defense: Multiple campaigns, amounts unclear. Robinson has used GiveSendGo for legal fees.
- General pattern: GiveSendGo allows neo-Nazi fundraising that other platforms ban. The platform's "Christian" framing doesn't prevent this.
The 2022 leak:
- 92,000+ donor records leaked (Freedom Convoy-focused but contained ALL campaigns)
- Hosted by Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets)
- Data includes names, emails, IP addresses, ZIP codes
- Key gap: The full leak has NOT been systematically analysed for UK recipients. This is a significant research opportunity — the dataset likely contains UK far-right campaign donors.
- Anti-disinformation org Logically reported in Jan 2022 that GiveSendGo was "the hub for a far-right funding network" including QAnon, anti-vaccine, and Project Veritas.
What we need:
- Access to the DDoSecrets leak dataset
- Filter for UK-specific campaigns (GBP currency, UK locations)
- Cross-reference donor names with known far-right figures
GoFundMe / JustGiving
- Mainstream platforms generally remove far-right campaigns quickly
- JustGiving: John Myles (PDL) raised £16,544 for "4 Miles For Myles & MND Challenge" (charity, not political, but demonstrates fundraising network)
- GoFundMe bans legal defense for violent crimes and hate promotion
SubscribeStar / Patreon / Buy Me a Coffee
- Used by far-right influencers as alternative to demonetised YouTube channels
- SubscribeStar: Popular with deplatformed creators, including UK far-right figures
- Buy Me a Coffee: Lightweight donation tool, harder to track
- Amounts unknown — no public disclosure requirements
2. Merchandise Sales
A pervasive, low-visibility funding stream for nearly every group.
Britain First / Advance UK
- iNews investigation (Jan 2026): Both groups sell merchandise "Made in China" and "Made in Pakistan" — despite campaigning for British-made goods
- Items: t-shirts, hoodies, flags, patches, mugs
- Storefronts on their own websites (Shopify or similar)
- Revenue: Unknown but described as ongoing funding stream
Patriotic Alternative
- Sells t-shirts, stickers, flags via website
- Hope not Hate: "tacky lines of merchandise are producing dwindling levels of support"
- Revenue: Unknown, likely small-scale
- Key finding: PA's merchandise and crowdfunding may be declining — the group is "flagging" per HnH Oct 2024
Active Club Network
- White Rex brand: Combat sports clothing branded for white supremacist market
- MMA/fight club events generate revenue through ticket sales and merch
- Centralised merch operations (Terror Machine) route money to Robert Rundo
- Revenue: Unknown — BBC and ADL have flagged this as a concern
General Pattern
- Print-on-demand means low overhead — no inventory risk
- Platforms: Shopify, Teespring/Spring, Spreadshirt, Printful
- Some groups use encrypted/private storefronts on Telegram
- Regulatory gap: Merchandise sales are NOT reportable as political donations
3. Cryptocurrency Fundraising
Why Crypto?
- Deplatformed by PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Visa, Discover
- Pushes groups toward Bitcoin, Monero (privacy coin), and crypto donation bots
- Telegram integrated wallets (Button Wallet, NOWPayments) make it trivially easy
Scale of Crypto Extremist Funding (Global)
- Chainalysis 2025 report: Crypto donations to extremist groups dipped globally BUT white supremacism and anti-Semitism grew across Europe
- Europe's share: Rose to ~50% of global extremist crypto inflows between 2022-2024
- Daily Stormer (Andrew Auernheimer): $2.2M in Bitcoin at current values
- Nordic Resistance Movement: "Hundreds of thousands of dollars" in Bitcoin
- ADL 2024 report: Traced $142,546 between extremist actors and exchanges (Kraken, Gemini, Binance)
UK-Specific Crypto Activity
- UTK coin: "Unite the Kingdom" cryptocurrency promoted at Tommy Robinson's Sep 2025 rally. Logo visible during livestream. Described as route to "financial freedom". Sponsor: Core Signals (warned by FCA).
- Reform UK: First UK party to accept Bitcoin donations (May 2025). Electoral Commission "doesn't know where" the crypto donations come from (Byline Times, Mar 2026).
- Tommy Robinson: QR codes for crypto donations displayed at rallies. TBIJ described the UTK rally as a "cash grab".
- Telegram channels: Many UK far-right groups post Bitcoin/Monero wallet addresses for donations
What We Need
- Systematic collection of crypto wallet addresses from UK far-right Telegram channels
- Blockchain analysis of inflow/outflow (tools: Chainalysis, TRM Labs, or public explorers)
- Focus on Monero — the privacy coin preferred by extremists (harder to trace)
4. Legal Defense Funds
A recurring funding need — activists are frequently arrested and need legal representation.
Tommy Robinson
- Constant legal battles: Multiple arrests, terror act detention (Feb 2025), contemp of court
- Funding mix: US donors (Shillman, Andy Miller, Elon Musk allegedly), GiveSendGo, direct appeals to supporters
- Politico EU: "Elon Musk to fund Tommy Robinson's legal fight, supporters claim" (Dec 2024)
- Typical pattern: Robinson posts video asking for money → supporters send crypto/PayPal → legal fees paid
Patriotic Alternative
- £14,500 raised (2024) to "support families" of convicted members. Source: Hope not Hate
- Sam Melia and Costello both convicted — PA crowdfunding for their support
- Key insight: PA is now providing financial support to members facing legal consequences — suggests institutional maturity
Britain First
- Legal fee crowdfunding is a recurring theme
- £200,000 undeclared donation (via shell company) — VICE investigation
PDL / Street Activists
- Legal support for members arrested at counter-protests
- Funded by Telegram donations and informal collections
- Amounts unknown
5. Major US Donors to UK Street-Level Activity
This bridges the "billionaire" and "ground-level" categories. US individuals are directly funding UK street events.
| Donor | Amount | Recipient | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Miller (US Republican donor) | $200,000 | Tommy Robinson | Unite the Kingdom rally (Sep 2025) | TBIJ, HnH, May 2026 |
| Robert Shillman | $100,000 | Tommy Robinson | Unite the Kingdom rally (Sep 2025) | TBIJ, HnH, May 2026 |
| Elon Musk (alleged) | Unknown | Tommy Robinson | Legal fees | Politico EU, Dec 2024 |
Andy Miller is a US Republican donor — previously not in our research. This is a new lead that connects US GOP donor networks directly to UK street-level far-right activity.
6. Shell Companies and Obfuscation
Britain First Shell Company
- VICE investigation: Britain First set up a shell company to disguise £200,000 donation
- Electoral Commission found £200,000 of undeclared donations in 2016
- Pattern: use limited company registration to obscure donor identity
Patriotic Alternative Ltd (12759841)
- Registered company provides some transparency
- Micro-entity accounts required at Companies House
- Action needed: Download and analyse latest accounts
7. Funding Channels — Full Summary
| Channel | Transparency | Scale | Groups Using It | Difficulty to Track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GiveSendGo crowdfunding | Low (public campaigns) | £3k-£50k per campaign | PA, Robinson, Britain First | Medium |
| Merchandise sales | Very low (private sales) | Unknown, likely small | ALL groups | Hard |
| Crypto (Bitcoin/Monero) | Pseudonymous | Growing globally (£Ms) | Robinson, PA, ACN + Telegram groups | Very hard (Monero = near impossible) |
| Legal defense crowdfunding | Low | £10k-£100k per case | Robinson, PA, Britain First | Medium |
| US individual donors | Ad-hoc public | $100k-$200k per event | Robinson | Low (when reported) |
| Shell companies | Opaque | £200k+ per case | Britain First | Hard |
| Telegram / informal | Zero transparency | Unknown | PDL, local groups | Very hard |
| Patreon / SubscribeStar | Low | Unknown | Individual influencers | Medium |
| Event revenue (tickets, QR codes) | Zero transparency | Unknown | Robinson, PDL | Very hard |
Priority Actions
High Priority
- GiveSendGo 2022 leak analysis — search the leaked dataset for UK campaigns. The raw data is hosted by DDoSecrets. Filter for GBP, UK locations, and known far-right figures.
- Andy Miller profile — US GOP donor who gave $200,000 to Tommy Robinson's rally. Who is he? What's his network?
- Patriotic Alternative Ltd accounts — download from Companies House (12759841). Latest micro-entity accounts will show revenue.
- Telegram crypto wallet collection — systematically collect BTC/Monero addresses from UK far-right Telegram channels.
Medium Priority
- Britain First / Advance UK merchandise revenue estimates
- Active Club Network / White Rex financial footprint
- SubscribeStar analysis for UK far-right creators
- Cross-reference GiveSendGo leak for Tommy Robinson campaigns
- UTK coin analysis — who created it, who profited?
Lower Priority
- Buy Me a Coffee profiles of far-right influencers
- John Myles (PDL) fundraising network map
- Cash collection at far-right events (un-trackable but worth noting)
Sources
- The Ferret (Aug 2024): "UK far right raises money for convicted racists on US platform used by neo-Nazis"
- Hope not Hate (Oct 2024): "Patriotic Alternative: Flagging Fascist Group Finds New Funding Stream"
- Hope not Hate (May 2026): "Big Money, Dwindling Crowds: Tommy Robinson Demonstration"
- TBIJ (May 2026): "Unite the Kingdom rally was a cash grab"
- iNews (Jan 2026): "UK nationalist parties sell patriotic merchandise made in Pakistan and China"
- VICE: "Revealed: How Britain First Disguised the Source of a £200,000 Donation"
- PBS Frontline: "'White Dissidents' Raise Millions in Cryptocurrency"
- Chainalysis (2025): "Cryptocurrency donations to extremist groups dip globally"
- Byline Times (Mar 2026): "The Elections Watchdog Doesn't Know Where Reform UK's Crypto Donations Are Coming From"
- GNET (2021): "Far-Right Fundraising on Telegram"