House to house collectors guidelines

We are aware that occasionally non-charitable collections are taking place within the borough. Although this is not an unlawful practice, some collection leaflets may give the impression that it is for a charitable purpose. They are however, for profit companies. These collections are worded in such a way that you would be giving unwanted clothes or items as a gift, and therefore not donating for a charitable purpose. We urge members of the public to give with care when donating articles to charities and recommend that you to read the wording on the collection bags carefully and only give what you can spare to legitimate charities. 

How to check a collection is genuine

We would like to remind householders to report anything that appears to be suspicious. Not all door-to-door collections are fraudulent; many genuine charities operate in this way and would hold a house to house collection licence issued by the local authority or a National Exemption Order (GOV.UK) from the Home Office.

To be sure that you are dealing with genuine charitable door-to-door collectors, we advise the following:

• Look for the organisation's full name, address and registration number on the leaflet (GOV.UK) commercial companies can collect on behalf of registered charities, but they must state which charity they represent
• All charitable organisations must be registered with the Charity Commission (GOV.UK) so if you are in any doubt about a particular collection, contact their helpline on 0870 333 0123
• The House to House Collections Act 1939 requires charitable collectors to obtain a permit from district councils. To check if a collector in your area has a permit from us: Contact Licensing

Distraction burglary

There may be a link between doorstep selling/collecting and distraction burglary. On collection day there will be strangers in the street, which could create an opportunity for burglaries to be committed without being noticed. Report any suspicious behaviour to Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk) on 101.

Alternative way to donate items

You may prefer to donate unwanted items direct to a charity shop, or by using a charity shop collection sack. These will clearly state who the collection is for, including the registration number. Many will also carry the Charity Retail Association (charityretail.org.uk) kitemark.

Last updated: ‎19‎/‎07‎/‎2023‎ ‎09‎:‎35‎