Links to CharityBags

---

Website of Jo Swinson MP
(parliamentary constituency: East Dunbartonshire)

www.joswinson.org.uk/pages/boguscharities.html  

Web page devoted to bogus charitable clothing collections

Extract (from bottom of page) :

Links

Clothes Aid  
Association of Charity Shops  
Charity Bags  
Charity Commission  
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator  
The great charity collection scam  

---

Tewkesbury Borough Council (Gloucestershire) website

www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3935  Extract from this article :

Featured News

2 October 2009

Crackdown on Illegal Collections

Unlicensed door-to-door collections are on the increase and  . . .

Tewkesbury Borough Council's Lead Member for Community Development Cllr Whelan said:  . . .

"There are lots of safe ways to donate to charity, including giving money directly or giving unwanted items to charity shops."

To find out more about the safe ways to donate to charity, visit www.charitybags.org.uk

If you have doubts about an organisation that is dropping bags or leaflets through your letterbox, phone the Charity Commission help line on 0845 3000218.

---

East Northamptonshire Council website

www.east-northamptonshire.gov.uk/site/scripts/news_article.aspx?newsID=129&categoryID=359  

Extract from this article :

East Northamptonshire Council supports campaign to stop bogus charity collectors

Published on Monday 10th May 2010

 

" ... Don't be taken in - Give with Care."

To check if an organisation is licensed, visit www.northantslicensing.gov.uk   and click on Public Register.

To find out more about the Give with Care campaign as well as charities that are exempt from licensing, visit www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector   or www.charitybags.org.uk.

---

Runnymede Borough Council (Surrey) - website

www.runnymede.gov.uk/portal/site/runnymede/menuitem.c7555b14034cb0e5fe138e11af8ca028/  

Page on licensing of charity house to house collections - final section :

Where can I get further Information?

www.charitycommission.gov.uk  

www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk  

www.givewithconfidence.org.uk  

www.charitybags.org.uk  

www.charityshops.org.uk  

---

Article in The Observer newspaper, Sunday 30 November 2008 (page 19 of the Cash section) - Extract :

www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/nov/30/charity-shops-money-finance

The tills are ringing in the charity shops ... for now
Shoppers are pouring through the doors in the hunt for festive bargains, but the supply of clothes and bric-a-brac is about to dry up, writes Peter Davy 

. . .   As a rule of thumb, volunteer-run website Charitybags.org.uk reckons that goods in charity shops sell at 15 per cent of their original price.   . . .
More importantly, the price for 'rag' - clothing the shops can't sell in the UK, but is still good enough for consumers in the developing world - has rocketed in recent . . .
Most clothing can be used: if it can't be sold in the UK, it can go elsewhere or be recycled into mattress stuffing, for instance. Oxfam   . . .

---

Article in Worcester News ("Midlands Newspaper of the Year") - dated 3 February 2010

www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/4886192.Beware_of_bogus_charity_collectors/    - Extract :

Beware of bogus charity collectors

PEOPLE in Worcester are being warned to be on their guard after a bogus charity posted leaflets through doors asking for clothes donations.

. . .

For more information about guarding against bogus collections visit charitybags.org.uk.

---

Headington, Oxford (community website) - page entitled "charity"clothes collections

www.headington.org.uk/news/items/clothes_collection.htm

Includes links to four sources of information :

• CharityBags, Consumer Direct, Rip-off Britain and Clothes Aid

---

Burnham Bucks community website (South Buckinghamshire) www.burnhambucks.co.uk     *

Community News Bulletin from Burnham Neighbourhood Watch (NHW)

www.burnhambucks.co.uk/nhw100428.htm    - Extract :

Apr 28, 2010 ... You can get the full low-down on charity bags, including information on who are the scammers on the website www.charitybags.org.uk which is ...

---

Faringdon-online community website - Faringdon, Oxfordshire *

www.faringdon.org/nvtpfeb2010.htm   Talking points - Feb 2010 - Extract :

Clothing collections - 11/02/10

A 'hoody' has just delivered a plastic bag in Jespers Hill on which it is claimed that the collecting company, namely Intersecond, donates £5000 every month to a Lithuanian breast cancer project. Those thinking of leaving out unwanted clothes in these bags might be wise to look at http://www.charitybags.org.uk/clothing_collections/clothing_collections_intersecond_azzara_do_not_delay.shtml  . This makes interesting reading. General advice on the internet seems to be 'if you've got clothing to give away, take it to a local charity shop'.

Godfrey Smith

---

Trinity Mead Residents' Association (Stratford, Warwickshire) *

http://trinitymead.com/residents-association/pink-ribbon-collection-on-trinity-mead  

19 May 2010 -  Concerns regarding a "Pink Ribbon" charitable clothes collection

Page links to :

• www.CharityBags.org.uk  
• MoneySavingExpert.com forum

---

West Midlands Police Neighbourhood Watch, Walsall

www.scanonline.org.uk/news.htm  at 4 July 2010 - Extract :

LATEST NEWS FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP OFFICER

 

Bogus Charity Collection

Please be aware that bogus charity collectors are now posting plastic bags through front doors, mimicking the genuine charities. 

You can find out more about charity collections, real and bogus, at www.CharityBags.org.uk

---

www.policespecials.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php?t95577.html

Forum discussion on potentially illegal "charity" collections

Post date: Jul 6 2009, 10:24pm - By "Headset 57"

Includes a link to the following CharityBags page (and a copy of the page's text) :

http://www.charitybags.org.uk/clothing_collectors_list.shtml#list-of-clothing-collectors

---

http://delicious.com/emread/charity  "emsquared's charity Bookmarks" 4 Sept 2009 :

www.charitybags.org.uk  - information on misleading charity clothing collections, and how to deal with them 

---

Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers (Sept 2009)

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090929151550AAruHCD  

Q:  How do I get involved with a charity?
I haven't done this before and I'm trying to get involved with a charity (e.g. fundraising) but it's more difficult than I thought.  I contacted some charities per email etc. but no answer or sometimes they reply but nothing happens.  What can I do to get involved?  - Faith P

Answer 4 (by bouncer bobtail) :

Join the charity and you will get more information. They will have magazines, enquiry lines, local meetings etc.

Also you could walk down your nearest high street and pop into one of the many charity shops. They all need help.

http://www.charitybags.org.uk/charities.shtml#useful_links

http://www.cafonline.org/  

---

www.theanswerbank.co.uk/ChatterBank/Question778071.html

Questions & Answers - Charities

Q:  Are the people who leave plastic bags in our doors to collect old clothing etc. to be trusted or do they rummage through them to see if there is any thing worth keeping. I have [seen] that this does happen. Has anybody else heard of this happening?   - by john1066 (04:13 03-Jul-2009)

Answer 3 of 17 (04:26 03-Jul-2009) by hc4361 :
Also, other people come round and collect the bags before the charities get there. It is becoming a real problem, so if you want to donate to charity take your goods to a charity shop yourself. 
This is one example.
http://neighbourhood.southyorks.police.uk/news/wombwell/15052009
http://www.charitybags.org.uk/thefts_of_clothing_collection_bags.shtml

---

www.metaglossary.com/terms/scam/  at 3 October 2009 - Extract :

Definitions for "Scam"

A clever and dishonest plan or course of action (L)
[source] http://www.charitybags.org.uk/glossary_and_definitions.shtml

---

 

Blogs and forums linking to CharityBags

---

http://square_d.blogspot.com/2009/07/dont-bury-your-bras.html  - Extract :

11 July 09

Don't bury your bras

Textiles have become the fastest-growing waste product in the
UK. About 74 per cent of the two million tonnes of clothes we
buy each year end up in landfills, rotting slowly (or not at all) in
a mass of polyester, viscose and acrylic blends.
Where is Steptoe when you need him?

. . . [descriptions of charity clothing collections] . . .

Charitybags campaigns for greater transparency in the field.

Their website is a trove of information.

  "We estimate that around £10 million income is lost by
   genuine charities each year because of misleading, bogus
   and poor-value "charitable" house-to-house collections of;
   clothing etc in the UK. Many of these collections are illegal."
   [quote from www.charitybags.org.uk]

You need a local authority licence to collect door to door
for charity, even just clothes and bric a brac. Some charities (eg
Age Concern, Oxfam, Red Cross, RNLI etc.) have a national
exemption, but they are supposed to inform the local authority
when they are collecting in their area. Some may have a local   . . .

---

http://wagglesmudge.blogspot.com/2008/06/its-for-charity-mate.html  at 2 October 2009 - Extract from blog :

It's for charity, mate.

There are about 7,000 charity shops in the UK (www.charitybags.org.uk). This is great news for me, as, with very few exceptions, I buy second-hand. By and large the increase in the number of charity shops and the acceptability of buying 'nearly new' is a good thing for us all. Done correctly, as an activity: it encourages the RE-USE OF MATERIAL GOODS; it raises funds for charity; and provides affordable clothing/things for those who need it. At least these three things are true: I have more clothes now than I have ever had; I have nicer clothes now than I have ever had; I spend less on clothes now than I ever have. Charity shopping is a bit like fishing, or beachcombing, mushrooming: the outcome is not guaranteed and it requires skill and perseverance - but it pays off.     . . .

---

"Bridalwave is the all-singing, all-dancing blog for brides and weddings.  . . ."

www.bridalwave.tv/2009/09/what_to_do_with_1.html  at 2 October 2009 - Extract :

What to do with your wedding dress after the big day.

. . .    We suggest [below] a few ways to recycle a wedding or bridesmaid dress.   . . .

5. Pass it on     . . .

6. Recycle it for charity
There are many charities that recycle old clothes for charity, or send them away to third world countries. Log onto www.charitybags.org.uk to find the best charity for you.

---

Digital Spy - "the UK's largest independent entertainment website"

www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1254941  

Forum entries on 3 May 2010 - mentions of www.CharityBags.org.uk (clothing collectors A-Z list page)

---

Chesterfield Forum (entry on 11 November 2009 - concerning collections on behalf of "Do Not Delay")

http://chesterfieldforum.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1016  

---

http://meetup.ebid.net/showthread.php?t=127451  posted 13 August 2009 - Extract from thread :

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Useful information for charity donations

Just come across this web page, it has some very useful information regards giving items to charity shops and what the shop can expect to sell them for.

http://www.charitybags.org.uk/charity_shops.shtml

So if you are having a clearout for a charity store the page may help.

Sarah
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thanks, Sarah.

Makes for interesting reading - especially about the house-to-house collections. Thankfully, we don't have those round here.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thanks for the info Sarah - a very useful guide. Handy to know - we're always dropping odds off at charity shops.
Babs

---