People are being warned to be wary of bogus charity collectors operating in Bath city centre, after the Council received a number of complaints from members of the public.
The Council’s Trading Standards and Licensing teams have received reports of emotive causes being used by street cash collectors carrying buckets – who do not represent a registered charity – in order to part unsuspecting residents and visitors with their money.
Cllr Martin Veal (Conservative, Bathavon North), Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “We’re very concerned that people may be duped into believing that they are giving money to a registered charity when this is not actually the case.
“As well as it being troubling for anyone caught out in this way, it’s also unfair on the many legitimate charities who may be missing out on vital donations.
“Some of the individuals that we’ve received complaints about have the materials you would normally associate with legitimate charity collectors, such as branded outfits or buckets.
“However, the causes they are collecting for are rather more ambiguous which leads us to question whether any of the monies donated are reaching good causes after all.”
All street charity collectors need to have a permit from Bath & North East Somerset Council, with the exception of those who are specifically selling periodical publications rather than collecting donations.
If you’re unsure about giving money to a street collector:
- Ask the collector what their registered charity number is and look it up if necessary.
- Ask the street collector how much of the money they receive actually goes to charity.
Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Trading Standards team is keen to hear from anyone who believes they have been approached by unregistered street collectors, or who may have given money believing them to be genuine charity collectors.
Get in touch via the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline on 0345 4040506.
