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Report by the Charity Commission:
'Charity and Door-to-Door Clothing Collections'

Introduction by CharityBags

Headings on this page :

Notes

The report was published in 2003, by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It's the most relevant and useful document we have come across so far in relation to our campaign.  You can view the report as follows :

• copy on our website, or
• copy on the Charity Commission's website

The report totals 6,000 words and is divided into 30 numbered paragraphs.  When printed out, it comprises six A4 pages.

Headings used in the report

• Introduction
• Background
• Issues
• Methodology
• Findings
• Outcome of Inquiry
• Wider Lessons

Organisations mentioned in the report

• Local government [licensing] authorities - in respect of collection licences under the 1939 Act
• Local Authority Licensing Departments in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (case study of collections)
• Local police - London (Metropolitan Police and City of London Police)
• Metropolitan Police - in respect of collections in London Boroughs of Brent and Harrow (case study of collections)
• Home Office - in respect of national Exemption Orders under the 1939 Act for collections by larger charities
• Trading Standards offices
• Office of Fair Trading (OFT) - in respect of misleading advertisements (collection leaflets)
• Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) - in respect of misleading collection leaflets
• Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) - in respect of misleading collection leaflets
• Association of Charity Shops (ACS) - in respect of the impact on charity shops of clothing collections which don't go to charity shops
• 7 clothing collection firms - with unclear charitable links

See our page on the regulators for more information on most of these organisations.

Legislation mentioned in the report

• House to House Collections Act 1939 - eg section 3 on national Exemption Orders
• Charities Act 1992 - section 63 - deals with commercial organisations raising funds, misleading people into thinking they are a charity
• Charities Act 1993 - section 8 - gives powers to the Commission to conduct inquiries (such as this one)
• The Charitable Institutions (Fund-Raising) Regulations 1994 - Regulation 7 - deals with commercial organisations engaging in promotional activities which benefit charitable causes
• Misleading Advertising Directives - regulated by the ASA
• Jones v AG [1976]  =case law regarding charity trustees

See our page on house-to-house collections law for more information on the 1939 and 1992 Acts.

Dates referred to in the report

• October 2002 - Inquiry opened
• March 2003 - Inquiry closed
• Sept and Nov 2002 - collections in Herts and Beds, London boroughs of Brent and Harrow (case study)

Contact details given in the report

• Charity Commission helpline - tel 0845 300 0218
• Home Office public inquiry desk for information on national Exemption Orders (held by 43 or so larger charities)
• ASA - www.asa.org.uk

Note - Responsibility for national Exemption Orders was transferred from the Home Office to the Office of the Third Sector in 2006.

 

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