Tips to watch out for
1 Look for a charity number on the leaflet or sack. If you are unsure that the number is valid, then this can be verified by the Charity Commission via their website www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission or by calling them on 0845-3000-218
2 Be cautious of leaflets that just says “families in need” or similar wording.
3 If there is no phone number to contact them, it might mean that they do not want to be contacted. Most reputable companies provide a phone number to contact.
4 If they only give a registered company number then this does not indicate that the collection is for Charity.
5 Collection vans should be clearly marked with the Company Logo and all collectors must carry identification. Please challenge collectors for this information if you feel wary of the validity of the collection. Remember, you have chosen the particular Charity you wish to support with your kind donation, and we want to make sure that your Charity receives the benefits.
1 Look for a charity number on the leaflet or sack. If you are unsure that the number is valid, then this can be verified by the Charity Commission via their website www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission or by calling them on 0845-3000-218
2 Be cautious of leaflets that just says “families in need” or similar wording.
3 If there isn’t a phone number to contact them, it might mean that they don’t want to be contacted. Most reputable companies provide a commercial number usually starting 0844 or 0870.
4 If they only give a registered company number then this does not indicate that the collection is for Charity.
5 Collection vans should be clearly marked with the Company Logo and all collectors must carry identification. Please challenge collectors for this information if you feel wary of the validity of the collection. Remember, you have chosen the particular Charity you wish to support with your kind donation, and we want to make sure that your Charity receives the benefits.
There are a lot of reputable companies, raising much needed funding for many charities by way of collecting and recycling bags of clothing. Unfortunately, there are also some fraudulent collectors who are collecting for one charity only, their own!
All too often our bags are stolen by unscrupulous bogus collectors and we urge any such sightings to be reported to the police.