How ‘charity muggers’ drive shoppers from the high street (and take business away from old-fashioned tin rattlers)

By
Steve Doughty

18:42 EST, 20 April 2012

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18:42 EST, 20 April 2012

Charity fundraising gangs have become unwelcome in almost three out of four of the towns in the country, according to a report yesterday.

It said that aggressive ‘charity muggers’, or ‘chuggers’, who accost shoppers are generating complaints from the public in more than two thirds of the high streets where they operate.

In more than half, the chugger teams are believed to have driven down trade for stores and businesses by deterring shoppers from visiting town centres.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which carried out a survey of councils, called for new laws to rein in the gangs employed by big charities and give a better chance of competing to old-fashioned tin-rattling collectors who typically turn out for small and local voluntary groups.

A report by the Local Government Association said aggressive 'charity muggers' who accost shoppers are generating complaints from the public in more than two thirds of the high streets where they operate (file photo)

A report by the Local Government Association said aggressive ‘charity muggers’ who accost shoppers are generating complaints from the public in more than two thirds of the high streets where they operate (file photo)

The plea comes amid growing irritation in many parts of the country over chugging operations, in which groups of young people employed by an agency gather on shopping streets and target passing shoppers.

Their aim is to get bank details and signatures on direct debit forms so the charity involved can hope for long-term income from the exercise.

Because they are not asking for cash, they are free from the regulation that restricts the activities of collectors with tins.

A check on 151 councils found that 72 per cent said they regarded chuggers as a problem and 54 per cent said the chugging gangs had been putting shoppers off trips to local high streets.

More than two thirds – 68 per cent – said they had been getting complaints from the public, from businesses and from local charities and voluntary groups who find their donations falling and their reputations suffering because of the activities of the chuggers.

A quarter of councils reported that chugging gangs are found on their streets every day and nearly double that number said the gangs could be found operating at least once a week.

Nilgun Canver, licensing chief for the LGA, the umbrella group for councils, said: ‘Unfortunately a small but significant minority of over-zealous collectors are making a nuisance of themselves, harassing people and giving other charity workers a bad name.

A quarter of councils reported that chugging gangs are found on their streets every day and nearly double that number said the gangs could be found operating at least once a week (file photo)

A quarter of councils reported that chugging gangs are found on their streets every day and nearly double that number said the gangs could be found operating at least once a week (file photo)

‘People have been chased down the street and shouted at for not pledging money, while shops have complained that customers will cross the road or walk away rather than run the gauntlet of a tag team of chuggers.

‘In some areas, the problem has got so bad that people have been put off visiting their local high streets altogether.’

Chugging has been widely deplored over the past decade. However no legal curbs have been brought in and major charities appear to regard their operations as worth persisting with despite damage to their image.

One reason is thought to be that if someone signs a direct debit for a small amount, they are likely to forget about it and the donation can continue to flow in regularly for years.

Some authorities have tried to bring in voluntary restrictions. But, the LGA said, more than a quarter of deals to limit chuggers to set days and areas have broken down, and in these cases councils have limited powers to force charities to comply with their agreements.

Miss Canver said: ‘The current legislation is out of date and in a mess. Government needs to remove the double standard which means volunteers collecting coins for a local hospice need a licence, but agency workers seeking pledges for national charities do not.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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The comments below have not been moderated.

There is a Romanian woman who always sits outside Boots selling the big issue dressed in rags. And I used to feel sorry for her until I saw her get out her brand new iPhone and make a call.
And as for the chuggers the other day I was stopped four times by the same person and some of them are quite aggressive when you say no. Also, I thought it was illegal for charity collectors to approach the public?

Just walk on by

i stop them in there tracks by say i cant give money as i have two disabled kids and had to give up work to care for them. and if they wont take no then i ask them have they ever had a clip board removed from an orifice ? it soon makes them walk away .
– kd31, uk, 21/4/2012 10:06
…Oooh that made me giggle.

you must be joking, give your bank details to a stranger, no way,i always tell them to #### off

just say two words to them – Sex and travel. – Hagar , Blackpool, 21/4/2012 08:48 ……LOL same here.
– Mary Poppins, Flying high over the chimmneys of Olde Londone Towne., 21/4/2012 09:30 ——– FOAD seems to work!

I think people should be aware that these chuggers are paid a percentage for getting people to sign up for donations and their employers get a bigger percentage of it and by the time any money left for charities will probably be about 5-10%. So in actual fact most of the money donated ended up paying these people. If one wants to be charitable, donate directly into the charity of your choice bypassing these vultures.

There are always at least one (usually two) Romanians outside the doorways to our M S, selling Big Issues. They’re so demanding I avoid the store when ever possible. You wouldn’t think a fairly upmarket store like M S would allow it. As for the ‘chuggers’, they’re a real pest. I was in town yesterday and was accosted about 6 times, you can’t go into the banks, shop on the open market, or browse your usual high street stores, without these people stopping you every five minutes.

The other thing to do is just say ‘ Sorry I don’t speak English’…once I said ‘I’ll have to ask my husband as he controls the money’…LOL

i stop them in there tracks by say i cant give money as i have two disabled kids and had to give up work to care for them. and if they wont take no then i ask them have they ever had a clip board removed from an orifice ? it soon makes them walk away .

Sutton high street is gettling worse…I zig zag up and down the high street. People with tins outside every other shop and tins by the tills.
I’m not poor but if I gave to everything I would be in a cardboard box.
They actually put me OFF giving anything.
Hoe my giving some cash to ‘breast cancer research’ is going to help is beyone me and if I get cancer there wont be any money to treat me anyway.
Sorry I give to animal charities now and not the RSPCA which has milloins floating on the stck market.
Go forth and multiply is my adivce to them

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