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Charity street fundraisers to face stiff new laws in UK

The British Public Fundraising Regulatory Association updates list of rules which target ‘chuggers’ – but no such moves are yet afoot in Ireland.

CHARITY WORKERS WHO perform street fundraising in the UK have become subject to strict new laws.

The Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) have published a new rule book on the matter, which came into effect this month after a year-long trial. The PFRA estimate that face-to-face fundraisers, sometimes known as chuggers, raise £130 million a year for charities in the UK.

The penalty-points system fines organisations £1 for every point that fundraisers working on their behalf incur, once a threshold of 1,000 points has been reached.

New Rules

Organisations now can incur 100 points for failing to submit the solicitation statement which they use in dealing with members of the public to the PFRA.

In addition, fundraisers who approach members of the public who are deemed to be ‘on duty’, such as tour guides, will incur a penalty 20 points.

Amended Rules

The rule which previously prevented fundraisers from standing within three metres of an ATM has now been updated to also include shop entrances, pedestrian crossings and station entrances. Any breach of this carries a penalty of 50 points.

The ‘three-step’ rule has also been given an update, with fundraisers no longer allowed to take more than three steps alongside a person in their attempts to engage them, regardless of whether the person they are talking to has given their permission.

Penalty points have also been increased for causing a deliberate obstruction or for signing up anyone who they believe to be affected by drugs or alcohol.

Restrictions

The news comes as Cheltenham Borough Council in England are set to reduce the number of days on which charities can raise funds, in addition to the number of collectors who can take part.

The council of Islington, in England, had earlier this year considered introducing a bye-law to ban face-to-face street collecting. When contacted by TheJournal.ie, however, they said that no bye-laws had been enacted thus far.

Ireland

Senator Catherine Noone of Fine Gael, who has previously expressed her belief that regulation is needed on this issue in Ireland, told TheJournal.ie that similar regulations here “would be a very good idea,” and would “benefit the charity as well as the public”.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie, director of services for Galway City Council, Ciarán Hayes, said that the issue of face-to-face fundraising is “not a particular issue in Galway” and only “pops up intermittently from time to time”.

He went on to say that “like any other sector, if there is regulation in the area, we would welcome any regulation”.

Dublin City Council said it had no comment to make on the issue. Cork City Council did not reply to a request for comment.

Read: New charities code promises greater transparency over ‘chuggers’ >

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14 Comments
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    Mute Padraig Stapleton
    Favourite Padraig Stapleton
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:12 AM

    Worked as a charity mugger years ago, door to door and lasted a week. Got fired when I felt guilty and wouldn’t let a pensioner sign a direct debit he couldn’t afford. A lot of these people are on commission and some do very very well out of it.

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    Mute James Higgins
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:21 AM

    Just ban the practice completely.

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    Mute Marie Carroll
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:55 PM

    Agree it should be banned. People are made to feel guilty by not engaging with the chugger, and that’s unfair.

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    Mute John Ryan
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:36 AM

    It makes you not want to give to charities.

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    Mute David Douglas
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:19 AM

    Please let’s have something like that here…I miss having a nice uninterrupted stroll and listen to my ipod to get my lunch. Having someone try get my bank details when I’m having the only time out I get from being a business owner in a recession where the majority of my life is spent thinking about banks and money is just too much….many people are under way too much financial stress these days to be hassled for donations when walking down public streets by some way too happy clown in a tee shirt…

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    Mute finbar m
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:18 AM

    I hope they do tge same here

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    Mute Caroline Locke
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    Aug 23rd 2012, 12:16 PM

    Indeed.

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    Mute Emily Martin
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 7:41 AM

    Ciaran Hayes needs to walk down Shop Street on any day of the week to know it isn’t an intermittent problem. I hope they bring in rules & regulations here also, these chuggers tactics make me not want to give money at all.

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    Mute Dave O'Shea
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 8:21 AM

    Must get at shirt made up ” chuggers get punched in the face” ….. Don’t fret I won’t do it… Much

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    Mute bob
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 9:24 AM

    I had to tell one to f##k off yesterday.he would not stop!! amnesty international chuggar in mullingar outside park gate! fine cause but will push people away with hard sell tactics!! name and shame!

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    Mute Orela Krawczyk
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 9:27 AM

    I was accosted by one guy a few yrs ago and when I told him I didn’t have my bank details to hand, who does?, his reply was sure there’s an ATM over there. I was 18 and very intimidated so I did what he asked. When I got home I rang the bank and cancelled the D.D. and I rang the charity and got it cancelled and reported the chugger. Now they full of Sorry, we def do not support this method of collection, it’ll be looked into. My arse the same guy was just moved to a different corner. Would never give to that charity now.

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    Mute Sinead Taaffe
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 12:13 PM

    had something similiar happen to a mate of mine, its shocking that this seems to be a somewhat regular occurance. I personally just say no once then ignore them until they give up, even if they decide to follow me down the street.

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    Mute Stephen Church
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    Aug 22nd 2012, 1:42 PM

    Chuggers and those charity ads with crying / sick children should all be banned , People should give to charity because they want to , not because theyre being presurised by ads that make you feel bad or pushy sales people on the side of the road.

    All the major charities do this and its a disgrace.

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    Mute Caroline Locke
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    Aug 23rd 2012, 12:17 PM

    Well said.

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