Street fundraisers under probe

The entire fraternity of street fundraisers will be probed by the Fund Raising Standards Board (FRSB) after Tag Campaigns were allegedly to have flouted rules while raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

An undercover report by the Sunday Telegraphrevealed workers known as “charity muggers” or “chuggers” have grossly transgressed rules when raising funds.

A video footage handed over to FRSB by the newspaper showed team leaders using techniques like confusing pedestrians, falsely telling them they had dropped something in order to enter in to a conversation, FRSB said. According to best practice standards fundraisers should “never deliberately confuse, mislead or obstruct the public”.

Trainee fundraisers were not informed of the need to make any disclosure that they are paid, which is a legal requirement for fundraisers in the UK. Moreover team leaders were seen following pedestrians down the street even when they have indicated they weren’t interested in talking.

“The footage of both training and on-street fundraising that I was shown by The Sunday Telegraph is deeply worrying,” Alistair McLean, chief executive of FRSB was quoted as saying in media reports. “Fundraising agencies must maintain the highest standards at all times, protecting and building the brands and reputations of the charity clients they work with.”

Poorna Rodrigo