House to house collectors guidelines

When organising your collection you need to ensure that:

• Every collector wears a standard badge and carries a certificate of authority
• Collectors produce their badge on demand to the occupant of any house or to any police officer
• If collection boxes are used, they are sealed and consecutively numbered
• If money or goods are collected by another means, a receipt is issued to the donator and the donation entered in a receipt book
• Collectors do not cause annoyance or nuisance to occupants
• Collectors are not under 16 years old

After a collection:

• Collecting tins should be opened in the presence of a promoter and a witness, or, if unopened, delivered to a bank to be opened and counted by an official
• When opened, the contents of each tin should be entered on a list and certified by those present
• A return must be made to the council showing the total amount of monies collected, amounts from each tin and a list of collectors
• All certificates of authorities and badges must be destroyed at the end of the collection period
• At least 85 per cent of collected funds must be donated to the named charity - a maximum of 15 per cent can go towards expenses
• No promoter or anyone associated with the collection can receive payment from the collection unless approved by the council

Last updated: 22/05/2026 12:22