Street collectors to be banned from Worcester on weekends

7:30am Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News By Tom Edwards

A Greenpeace chugger in Worcester High Street. A Greenpeace chugger in Worcester High Street.

STREET charity collectors will be completely banned from Worcester on weekends - and excluded from all but two parts of the city in a hard-hitting crackdown.

The city council has struck a ground-breaking agreement to limit the irritation to shoppers by so-called ‘chuggers’.

The new deal states:

- Collectors are banned on weekends, and during the week are only allowed in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

- Only four chuggers can be in the whole of Worcester at any one time

- The quartet must split into two groups and can only operate in two of three specified locations

- The three possible locations are The Shambles (M&S to Argos), the High Street (HMV to WHSmiths) or the bottom of the High Street (the old Waterstones shop to the Elgar statue)

Under the changes, they are also barred from the city until 10am and cannot go within three metres of anyone in a queue.

Before now chuggers had no restrictions in Worcester, leading to fierce criticism they were putting people off the city by roaming around in groups of half a dozen or more.

Traders have welcomed the move - but insist council chiefs must make sure the agreement is actively monitored.

Tim Smith, who runs F Durrant & Son in Mealcheapen Street, said: “I’ve been banging on about this for ages and it’s a good thing, but they’ve got to enforce it.”

The agreement has been struck with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA), which represents all the charities actively staffing city streets.

Councillor Paul Denham, chairman of Worcester’s licensing committee, said: “It took a lot of work to get this deal and I’m satisfied with it.

“It will make sure people don’t feel like they are being ganged up on.

“I’m confident about it because the charities need this to work too - they know that if it doesn’t we will know about it, and the Government has already said it is willing to legislate.”

The deal also says the council reserves the right to refuse chuggers access on days where special events are planned, like markets or street entertainment.

They are also banned from approaching groups of six people or more, and must stay at least one metre away from shops and kerbs.

The PFRA has agreements with 56 areas nationwide, and subject to a debate by the licensing committee tomorrow, Worcester will become number 57.

Spokesman Ian MacQuillin said: “We are satisfied with the deal and think it is reasonable for all parties.”

Comments(30)

TDH123 says...
7:50am Tue 19 Feb 13

Pity they are not banned entirely. If I wish to give money to charity I am quite capable of choosing to do so in my own time. Someone approaching me, invariably wearing a cagoule in a bright hue, calling me "Mate", is not going to persuade me, there and then, to sign up to funding an Atlantic whale or a starving child in Africa.

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Arthur Blenkinsop says...
8:45am Tue 19 Feb 13

Agree with the above. Bloomin' nuisance.
I was once stopped by a chugger who asked me, '..and what would put a smile on your face today'?
I said, 'you not talking to me'.
He went away quite quickly!

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sugarlump says...
9:00am Tue 19 Feb 13

got chugged 6 times in one day once!

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nicki1967 says...
9:29am Tue 19 Feb 13

I think this is quite sad. Although I agree that groups of charity collectors is annoying, I don't think that they should be banned like this. As long as the collector is registered and has id what harm can it do. Charities need to be allowed to collect. Rather than ban these people giving up their spare time for good causes, how about banning the market research and heavy handed salespeople that pounce whenever one walks up the high street? These people are just out to make money for themselves by intimidating people.

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Peter WR5 says...
9:46am Tue 19 Feb 13

I understand that chuggers are professional fund-raisers, certainly not like the ‘flag day’ volunteer collectors of past years. The system must work for the charities otherwise they would not persist in sending them out. I’ve heard that the chugger can expect to receive as much as the first full year donated; thereafter the monies go to the charity relying on the non-cancellation of the bank standing order.

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David_C says...
9:49am Tue 19 Feb 13

If a chugger stops you and asks for money, ask them to tell you EXACTLY how your money will be spent. Ask them what slice of your donation they will get. If they say they work for free, ask them why they are lying to you. Ask them to explain to you exactly what their cause is and exactly how your donation will help. Ask them to tell you in detail so you can get a full picture of what their charity does.

These people are dangerous. In larger cities like Birmingham and Manchester, they are violent and abusive. These tactics will eventually come to Worcester. Best they are banned in full.

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New Kid on the Block says...
9:54am Tue 19 Feb 13

Unlike volunteer "tin rattlers" Chuggers are paid.
They often do not work for the charity but for a third party fundraising firm.
For every new donor recruited it typically costs between £80 and £160. So at 5 or 10 pounds a month it will take a long time before the charity sees any profit. This link explains a lot.
http://www.pfra.org.
uk/face-to-face_fund
raising/do_you_objec
t_to_chuggers/money_
doesnt_go_to_charity
/
That is why I don't give any money to chuggers though I do regularly give time and money to my chosen charities.

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nicki1967 says...
10:13am Tue 19 Feb 13

So it seems I was mistaken. I always thought they were volunteers for the charities concerned. I hate being wrong! My eyes have been opened then. It appears these people are the same as the market research and salespeople then....just out to make a few quid for themselves. In which case, yes, they should be banned!

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Paul Oldroyd says...
10:27am Tue 19 Feb 13

I too am annoyed when I get hassled by an aggressive chugger. But I am sad that this will mean that the traditional "tin rattlers" appear to be caught up in the same agreement.

For instance, when St Paul's Hostel holds its annual "Big Sleep Out" there is always a presence on the high street to remind people about the event and, yes, to rattle a few tins. It's a shame to lose that!

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green49 says...
10:56am Tue 19 Feb 13

There are too many charities now, an awful lot of small charities doing the same thing for the same reasons so why do they not get together?

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Paul Oldroyd says...
11:11am Tue 19 Feb 13

After checking this out it appears that chuggers *are* dealt with in a different way to tin-rattlers, who will still be allowed.

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Casmal says...
12:23pm Tue 19 Feb 13

Thank you for this Paul. It would have seemed grossly unfair if all charities were banned just because of these rogue chuggers. As someone who has "rattled" a tin for charities over many years, I know there are very strict rules governing their behaviour. They are not allowed to approach people and ask for money or even, strictly speaking rattle their tin. One wonders, therefore, why these chuggers are not arrested for accosting people.

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Andy-Apache says...
12:33pm Tue 19 Feb 13

The Greenpeace chugger needs money for some new shoes and a bottle of shampoo bless.

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TDH123 says...
12:35pm Tue 19 Feb 13

Ask them about the charity they purport to represent. One baffoon of a chugger wanted me to sign up to save the tigers who live in AFRICA!!!

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jaybnell1988 says...
1:34pm Tue 19 Feb 13

How on earth am I going to raise money for my charity supplying guide dogs to blind gardners, "**** and hoes", now?

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jaybnell1988 says...
1:34pm Tue 19 Feb 13

How on earth am I going to raise money for my charity supplying guide dogs to blind gardners, "*****es and hoes", now?

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jaybnell1988 says...
1:35pm Tue 19 Feb 13

How on earth am I going to raise money for my charity supplying guide dogs to blind gardners, "b**ches and hoes", now?

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CJH says...
1:45pm Tue 19 Feb 13

TDH123 wrote:
Ask them about the charity they purport to represent. One baffoon of a chugger wanted me to sign up to save the tigers who live in AFRICA!!!
Bit pointless trying to save tigers in Africa because there aren't any. They're Asian, not African.

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TDH123 says...
2:19pm Tue 19 Feb 13

CJH wrote:
TDH123 wrote:
Ask them about the charity they purport to represent. One baffoon of a chugger wanted me to sign up to save the tigers who live in AFRICA!!!
Bit pointless trying to save tigers in Africa because there aren't any. They're Asian, not African.
Precisely!!

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Justintime says...
6:07pm Tue 19 Feb 13

How about getting rid of the wasters that hang around cashpoints to beg for "any change" these people can be intimidating to certain sections of our community and would not have been tolerated by the police years ago.
as for chuggers I never get approached, possibly because I always look miserable and bad tempered, comes in useful sometimes.!

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New Kid on the Block says...
6:16pm Tue 19 Feb 13

Can we also ban the Chuggers who come pestering you at home?

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worcesterlass says...
8:47pm Tue 19 Feb 13

I used to hate it when they run up and stand in front of you, blocking your way, with some stupid comment like "you don't look very happy!" (I wonder why?) But now I've grown to enjoy totally ignoring them, (as you have to on London tubes now there's so many), avoiding eye contact and keeping on walking, brushing past them if I have to.

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katiekins says...
10:20pm Tue 19 Feb 13

GOOD...........

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Malaky says...
10:37pm Tue 19 Feb 13

I have stopped donating to any Charities who employ chuggers.

I don't know if it affects them, but it makes me feel better!

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Ctrl Alt Del says...
11:20pm Tue 19 Feb 13

I support various charities, but there is no way I would ever reveal my bank details to a random stranger in the street, "tin rattlers" however are different case and usually attract at least a bit of loose change.

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kateamuffin says...
3:18pm Thu 21 Feb 13

About time too!
Fed up of these people bouncing up & down with their clipboard following me along asking me to spare a minute.
Then for them to do it again as i walk back past.
if anyone wants to donate they will do so themselves.
Exactly the same with door to door salesmen, if i want a service or charity i look for it.

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Maggie Would says...
8:42pm Thu 21 Feb 13

I hate chuggers too. I was approached by what seems like dozens of them when going about my business outside Kings Cross in London last week.
However, a friend's son, who is a university student, recently got a part time 'job' chugging recently. It was the only job offer that he had after months of looking, so have some sympathy for these kids. They are trained to say the things that they do and are supposed to follow a script. They are just trying to earn a crust. My young friend didn't stay in the job long, though, he was lucky enough to be offered an different job and gave up the chugging swearing he would never do it again.
My advice is: donate to local charities. The money is generally put to better use because the overheads are lower.

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Maggie Would says...
8:43pm Thu 21 Feb 13

Oh, I mean I was walking past King's Cross, which I had cause to do several times in a day.
I don't want to get a reputation!

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CJH says...
8:45pm Thu 21 Feb 13

Maggie Would wrote:
Oh, I mean I was walking past King's Cross, which I had cause to do several times in a day.
I don't want to get a reputation!
Bit late for that Maggie... ;-)

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marshall_bravestarr says...
9:53am Sat 23 Feb 13

Andy-Apache wrote:
The Greenpeace chugger needs money for some new shoes and a bottle of shampoo bless.
Shampoo and shoes? Surely not. That would require animal testing and the hide of a poor defenceless creature!

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