On the street charity people

[Andy Hamilton]

Just listening to Radio 2 and they are on the subject of the so called chuggers. An offensive term which is a shortened version of charity mugger, the people with clip boards that stop you and ask for your bank details to donate to a charity.

When I lived in the very centre of Bath they used to be the bain of my life, I would walk out of my door to buy a pint of milk, often with a hangover (I was a student then) and be confronted by one of them beaming and asking if I had a moment. On route to get milk I might meet up to 4 of them. These days I rarely go into Bristol and so have little contact with them, much less of a bother. I

have supported many charities in various ways and I understand that for each £1 invested in on street marketing £4 is raised. So is this a worthwhile irratation?

[Welsh Girls Allotment]

I heard this as well, I feel that for many people giving to charity is a private thing not something you wish to share with the High Street, also if you watch programmes such as the Real Hustle they warn against this type of thing as it could lead to identity theft, is it really sane to give all your private information to a stranger with a clipboard and a smile ??

I buy lots of books toys and clothes in charity shops and when I sat down to calculate how much I parted with over a year is was mind boggling.
Personally I find any street stopping people irritating if I want something I will seek it out I do not need it shoved in my face in an attempt to make me feel guilty enough to donate.
rant over

[Martin]

I think they should be banned! - I've heard that if that do get you to sign up for a subscription, that at least a year's contributions go to them!
I reckon it's "incitement to commit a breech of the peace" - as I am sorely tempted to dot them one when they don't bog off when requested!

[funkypixie]

I never sign up for anything on the street or over the phone. I hate the way I am made to feel guilty for NOT signing up and I really resent that. It tends to feel like my choices of charity are being judged as irrelevant when I decline to sign on the dotted line.

I know that charities have to be proactive in raising funds. The simple truth is that you need to speculate to accumulate even if you are a charity, but this form of harassment gets my goat.

Anna x

[Andy Hamilton]

I think they should be banned! - I've heard that if that do get you to sign up for a subscription, that at least a year's contributions go to them!

Well if the facts on the radio are to believed £1 in every £4 is spent on this kind of collecting which means that indeed some of the money will go to the collector. I guess if the adverage person signs up for 4 years then your figures are correct.

[Shirley]

Bath is without a doubt the worst place I know for chuggers! I get intensely irritated by them to be honest.. if I want to give to charity I will and I certainly wouldn't give my details out to some bloke/girl on the street.

I've read an article about these chuggers before - not sure where though.

[red]

the charities pay large salaries to people whose job it is to raise more money. it annoys me alot!

I live in the sticks so meet very few of the clipboarders. What does happen to me is because I make a monthly payment to a few charities, they then contact me and ask for more. You see they have reasoned its easier to hit the people that they know agree and pay, then go and find new people. I complained to oxfam once.. saying 'look, Ive been contributing every month for years... go find someone new' they only offered to put me on their list of people not to be approached... what I wanted was a policy change...

[Dendrobium]

OOOOOOOOO This makes me sooo angry!!!!!!!!!!

The main street near where I work is a regular spot for them, and everyday I dread getting past them in my increasingly short lunch breaks.

When I've seen the agencies that hire these people out interviewed they claim they try and leave at least one day where they don't target that street so shoppers can go about unhampered. Well cheers guys, that's so nice of them to let me off for one day!

Don't get me wrong, some of the collectors are ago and polite etc, but some are pushy and annoying, I've seen at least one leaping and bounding into peoples paths to stop them. I tend to walk pretty quick and look fairly **** off and they tend to leave me mostly alone, but I remember heading to post office weighted down with boxes and every single one (it's normally a different charity everyday, but always people in the same spots!) tryed to stop me and made sure they were physically in my path. Is it part of the training, pick on people who might look tired and they might stop for a break? A woman I worked with used to stop for them, but she stopped after explaining to one guy she was already signed up with the charity for the scheme he was 'selling' he insisted she should still sign up for it again!

If they didn't target exactly the same street every day (except the one fallow day!) then maybe people like me might have more sympathy and tollerance for this, but as it I've worked near the street for about seven years, and I really can't remember a week when they haven't been then for 4 out of 5 days.

[pskipper]

Technically stopping people on the street and asking for money is begging and therefore illegal, it doesn't matter what you want to use the money for. If they are really annoying you contact the police to complain about the beggars.

[Kev]

if I want to give to charity I will and I certainly wouldn't give my details out to some bloke/girl on the street.

I completely agree with you Shirlz. With all the scare storys you hear about identity theft and things like that these days, I would never give my details out, cause you can never be really sure of who you are giving them to.

[baldowrie]

I have found I don' get asked these days, and I have over heard one or two them saying 'oh she is disabled, don't ask her'.

Ah sometimes using crutches has it's advantages