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Clothing collections :
Intersecond Ltd,
Azzara (Lithuanian charity) and
'Do Not Delay!' (cancer project)

Headings on this page :

Websites of the company and related charities

• http://intersecond.com   - the collection company (text in English)
• www.azzara.lt   - the charity's website (in Lithuanian)
  (Note:  ".LT" is the international Internet suffix (TLD) for Lithuania)
• www.donotdelay.org   - the Lithuanian breast cancer prevention project (in English)
• www.nedelsk.lt/en/   - related site, section in the English language

Websites mentioning them

Google lists numerous pages referring to Intersecond Ltd, Azzara and "Do Not Delay!".  Some of the pages are by householders (in the UK and Eire) commenting on local collections via blogs and forums.

See for example :

• Northants Evening Telegraph (5 November 2009)  
  - Refusal of application for a collection licence by Intersecond Ltd (East Northants Council)
• www.wigan.gov.uk/News/Archive/October2007/LeafletScam.htm  
  - Warning by Wigan Council.
  Includes an image of a 'Do Not Delay' collection leaflet of mid-2007.
• www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/lancashire/doorstep8.htm  
  - Doorstep Crime Update - Clothing Collection for Cancer Prevention - 5 September 2008
• www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/staffordshirenewsletter/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=451504  
• www.the-archer.co.uk/archive/2008/2008Oct07.pdf  
• http://ocaoimh.ie/do-not-delay-how-to-spot-a-fake-charity-flyer/  
  (Note:  The ".ie" suffix is the code for Eire websites)
• www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-2054966195-p-4.html  

Introduction

Intersecond Ltd is a commercial company (details below) which has been collecting clothes door-to-door in the UK since 2006 (or earlier).

Their leaflets/bags state that the collections are in aid of Azzara - a Lithuanian charity (Eastern Europe) - and specifically for a breast cancer screening project operating in Lithuania called "Do Not Delay!".

Controversy

Intersecond's collections in the UK have been controversial for various reasons :

• Licences:  Their collections need to be licensed (by local councils) as they are for a charitable purpose.  
  However, in general Intersecond Ltd have not obtained licences - so these collections have been illegal.
• The charity:  There have been doubts over whether the Lithuanian charity involved (Azzara) is genuine.  UK regulators have found it difficult/impractical to check out the charity - as it based in Lithuania.  
  The Charity Commission for England and Wales have not been able to provide any information about Azzara.
  (The Commission's remit only relates to charities registered in England and Wales.)
• % Proceeds:  There have been concerns that the (so far undisclosed) percentage of proceeds given to the charity is too small to comply with UK collection licensing rules.
• Rogue collectors:  There has been evidence that other collectors (with no connection to Intersecond) have been distributing leaflets labelled "Intersecond" and "Azzara" - and collecting the clothes for profit.
• Suspension:  For a period in 2007, the charity Azzara suspended authorisation of "Intersecond" collections in the UK and announced that any collections done in the name of Intersecond Ltd would be fraudulent.
• Many misleading/bogus "charity" clothing collections in the UK have links to Eastern Europe, especially Lithuania.
  So people tend to be sceptical of any collection linked to Lithuania.

It's often pointed out that if you wish to help a good cause overseas, it's better (eg less risky) to donate to a UK-based charity which does this (such as Oxfam, Save the Children or Fara) - rather than to a charity based abroad.  This is because a UK-based charity is subject to UK laws and can be adequately scrutinised.

Applications by Intersecond Ltd for collection licences

Clearly the collections by Intersecond Ltd are in aid of a charitable purpose (cancer prevention etc).  Therefore the 'House to House Collections Act 1939' requires them to obtain a collection licence (in advance) from the licensing department of the local council in each area where they intend to collect.

Between 2006 and mid 2009, it seems the company kept collecting without licences - and (in general) they weren't stopped by local councils.

However, from mid 2009 onwards the company submitted numerous applications for licences.  Councils which received applications included : 

• authorities in SW England (eg in Gloucestershire)
• authorities in Northamptonshire.

We're not sure what caused this change.  Apparently it may be due (in part) to pressure from Essex and/or Thurrock Council (where the company is based).

So far, we know of two councils which have refused applications by Intersecond Ltd (details below).

Several councils have said they expect to refuse a licence - partly on the grounds that inadequate information has been submitted to show that the % proportion of proceeds going to the charity is adequate.

Example 1

Refusal:  One council (near Bristol) refused the application in September 2009 - partly on the grounds that it didn't benefit local good causes.  Intersecond Ltd didn't make an appeal.

Example 2

Refusal:  By East Northamptonshire Council   Intersecond's application was refused on 3 November 2009.  See :

• the Council's agenda item on the licence application  (a PDF file)
• the article on the decision in the Northants Evening Telegraph (5 November 2009)  

The reason for refusal was the company would not specify what percentage of the profits would be given to the charity.

Example 3

Decision awaited:  The licensing department of council in SW England supplied the following information (October 2009) :

They've written back to Intersecond Ltd, requesting further information in writing before they will consider their application for a collection licence.

The information sought by the Council is mainly concerned with :

• establishing the proportion of the proceeds that is going to the charity
• the precise details of collector remuneration, and
• documentary evidence that Azzara is a genuine charity registered as such in Lithuania.

Without this information the Council are not able to consider the application any further.

In the meantime Intersecond Ltd have been told that it would be unlawful to collect without a licence and the Council are monitoring this closely to ensure they comply.

General comments by CharityBags

% Proceeds:   A crucial problem is that Intersecond Ltd have been quoting their donation to the charity as an absolute figure (we understand it's £5,000 per month as at October 2009).  However, this gives no indication of what proportion (ie percentage) this represents of the company's profits.

Revenue and costs:   Councils also need to know details of collection revenue and costs - before the profit figure is calculated by a collector (profit = revenue minus costs).

There have been cases of collectors (unconnected to Intersecond) who unscrupulously inflate their costs unreasonably (labour, materials etc), before then stating virtuously that (say) 80% of the net profits/proceeds go to the good cause.

Also, bear in mind that the current price per tonne for second-hand clothes (around £1,000) is 3-4 times the figure of 4 years ago.

More on Intersecond Ltd

Intersecond's website gives the following information (as at October 2009) :

The company Intersecond Ltd is registered in the UK.  Their Company number is 05713257.  You can check out their details via Companies House  

Note on Lithuania (Eastern Europe)

It's one of three small Baltic countries in Eastern Europe - namely Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.  Lithuania is now a member of NATO.  It joined the European Union (EU) in 2004.  Population: 3.5 million.  See Wikipedia.

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Similar collections

• The Hand of Help Ltd / Kaunas Disabled from Birth
• Hand of Help UK Ltd

For details of these, see the following page :

The Hand of Help Ltd and Kaunas charities (Lithuania)

 

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