Beware of Fake Charity Collections

(Date of issue: Friday, 11 July 2008)

Make sure you know who your old clothes are going, is the warning issued today by Carlisle City Council Cumbria Constabulary Cumbria and Cumbria County Council’s Trading Standards department.

Householders in Carlisle and District have been targeted in the last few weeks with a leaflet through letterboxes asking residents to put their unwanted clothes and other items in plastic bags for collection.

These leaflets often state that people in the developing world will benefit from the donations made.

"It is natural for the householder to assume the company arranging the collection is a charity, but this is often not the case,"

warns Jim Messenger, Licensing Manager for Carlisle City Council, he added;

"these leaflets often have a company name and registration number on it, giving the mistaken impression that it is a registered charity. Inevitably this raises the question as to who will benefit from the collection. The leaflets usually indicate if it is a commercial collection or a charitable collection, householders must make up their own mind as to the type of organisation they wish to donate their unwanted clothing".

If householders have any doubts about a leaflet asking for donations, they should:

• Contact the Charity Commission Helpline on 0870 333 0123 to check whether the collection is for, or on behalf of, a registered charity, or visit their website www.charity-commission.gov.uk

If they are still not sure then they may take their goods direct to a local charity shop.