Shoppers sick of charity collectors
9:04am Friday 3rd September 2010 in News
SHOPPERS in Bolton have blasted direct debit charity collectors after it was revealed some of the cash does not go directly to the good causes.
Workers are regularly seen at the crossroads of Deansgate and Market Street, close to Burtons and the former Royal Bank of Scotland.
The spot is popular with collectors — known as chuggers — because it is packed with shoppers making their way to or from the Market Place.
Visitors and town centre workers have said they do not like being stopped in the street, but Bolton Council claims it is powerless to regulate the collectors.
The calls came after a television investigation revealed several charities pay private companies who employ collectors on the charity’s behalf.
The report by the BBC found that, on occasion, the first £100 collected goes to the private collection company, not the charity itself.
Gail Shepherd, aged 45, of Dingle Walk, Bolton, said: “If you want to give to charity, then you give to them direct, you don’t want to be chased through the town centre while you’re on your dinner hour or doing your shopping.
“Usually, if you say ‘no’, they do back off, but some can be quite persistent.”
Ann Weal, aged 46, from Breightmet, said: “I never give anything to them.
“There are quite a lot of them now, but I don’t talk to them.
“I purposefully avoid them and stay out of their way.
“They don’t all tell you the money doesn’t always go direct to the charity.”
The Professional Fundraising Regulatory Association defended charities who use subcontractors.
The association insisted charities generate between £3 and £4 back for every £1 they pay to the private companies.
A council spokesman said: “We have no powers to licence charity collectors who take details for direct debits.
“We are able to licence charities for street collection permits, either for sale of goods or collection of money on the street.
“We issued 53 licences to charities for on-street collection permits in Bolton town centre in the last year up to the end of August —an average of four a month.”
The council said it is an individual’s choice about whether to give money in this way.
People are advised to check if a collector works directly for the charity and also how much of their money will go directly to the charity.
