Published: Monday, 6th October, 2008 12:00
Council imposes ban on charity collectors
By Lucy Crossley
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STREET fundraisers have been ordered to stick to designated areas in an agreement between the council and a charity regulator.
Under the pact face-to-face fundraisers who encourage passers-by to donate to charity with a direct debit will only be able to work on the High Street and Charles Square, Bracknell.
They must avoid connecting narrow streets and Stanley Walk so they do not inconvenience shoppers in the town centre and cause a health and safety risk.
Speaking at a meeting of the Bracknell Forest Council licensing and safety committee on Thursday licensing officer Laura Driscoll said: “Stanley Walk is too narrow, if there are people down there collecting direct debits it can clog up the area but if they are in fairly wide locations people can stay clear of them if they want.”
The council is unable to ban face-to-face collectors because although permits are required for money collection a direct debit mandate has no worth at the time of collection. It is similar to collecting a list of names.
But members of the panel expressed their own feelings about the canvassers who many call “chuggers” or charity muggers, because they believe their methods are aggressive or invasive.
Cllr Jacqui Ryder said: “I object to someone jumping out on me, or other defenceless members of the public, and harassing them into signing up to a direct debit.”
Council officers said they would rather allow charity workers in High Street and Charles Square under the voluntary agreement with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) than have charities ignore a total ban that could not be enforced.
The agreement between the council and the PFRA also says that teams of canvassers should be limited to a maximum of four collectors and a team leader, they are not allowed to cluster in groups and each charity can only visit Bracknell once a week with the streets clear of canvassers for two weeks a year.
It also means that licensing officers and town centre managers only have to deal with one organisation instead of each individual charity separately.
Panel Chairman Marc Brunel-Walker said: “Now we have this association it’s great for us because on matters such as this we have this one body we can go and talk to.”
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