House to House Collections
House to house collections are regulated by The House to House Collections Act 1939.
A ‘house’ includes businesses. This policy, therefore, also covers collections made within places such as shops, offices, and public houses where the collectors go from premises to premises collecting money, or other property and the proceeds of such collections are given to charity.
House to house collections include not just requests for money, but also the sale of magazines, requests for unwanted clothing or other items and selling of goods where any proceeds go to charity.
General principles
Applicants for a house to house collection must be charitable institutions benefiting residents of the district. A charitable institution is a charity (registered or unregistered), or voluntary organisation established for purposes which may not be strictly charitable in law, but which are philanthropic or benevolent. Applications from private companies for commercial reasons will not be considered.
The Council will only allow one house to house collection in any one area on any day.
The Council will only allow an organisation to collect on six occasions per calendar year.
The maximum duration of any one collection must not exceed two weeks.
No collection shall be made other than during the time period specified on the licence.
Collectors are expected to observe any "no cold calling" or "no doorstep selling" or similar signage on display in any neighbourhood or on any property.
The Council may limit the collection to specific streets or areas, and these will be specified on the licence.
No collection shall be made in a manner likely to inconvenience or annoy any person.
Application requirements
An application for a house to house collection licence must be made to the Council on the prescribed application form no later than one month before the proposed collection date. The application period of one month before may be reduced if there are special reasons for doing so, for example, to collect funds for a national or international emergency.
Applications cannot be made more than twelve calendar months before the date of the proposed collection.
Where the application is on behalf of a registered charity a letter of authority is required and this must accompany the application form.
Fit and Proper person
When granting a licence for a house to house collection, the Council must be satisfied the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a house to house collection licence.
Applicants must complete a declaration of convictions and submit this along with any application for a house to house collection licence.
Where there are convictions or cautions the Council will take into consideration the following when determining if the person remains ‘fit and proper’:-
- Whether the conviction is relevant
- The seriousness of the offence
- In accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the length of time since the offence occurred
- Whether there is a pattern of criminal behaviour
Financial considerations
The Council will only issue a house to house collection licence where it is confident that the amount being given to charity is adequate given the value likely to be received from the collection.
Whilst the Council acknowledges there are costs associated with these types of charitable collections, the Council would generally expect at least 80% of the value of the collection to be donated to the charitable cause.
Failure to provide detailed and accurate financial information will result in an application being refused.
Post collection
Within one month after the date of any collection or sale the person responsible for the collection must complete a statement in the prescribed form as shown on our website. This form will detail the amount received and any expenses incurred as a result of the collection.
The statement must be certified by an auditor or by some independent responsible person.
Reasons for refusal or revocation
The Council may refuse to grant a licence or, where one has already been granted, revoke it if it appears to the Council that:
- The total amount likely to be given for charitable purposes as the result of the collection (including any amount already given) is inadequate in proportion to the value of the proceeds likely to be received (including any proceeds already received)
- That the remuneration to any person involved in the collection is excessive in relation to the total amount received or likely to be received
- The grant of a licence would be likely to facilitate the commission of an offence under s.3 of the Vagrancy Act 1824, or that an offence under that section has been committed in connection with the collection.
- The applicant or the holder of the licence is not a fit and proper person to hold one.
- The applicant or the holder of the licence, in promoting a collection, has failed to exercise due diligence to secure that persons authorised to act as collectors for the purposes of the collection were fit and proper persons.
- The applicant or the holder of the licence has previously refused or neglected to furnish to the Council such information as they may have reasonably required, such as a return form.
An applicant can appeal the refusal or revocation of a licence to the Secretary of State within fourteen days of the decision.