Street Collection Programme

Within the Metropolitan Police District a street collection programme is in operation.
This facilitates the smooth running of collections and avoids more than one charity collecting on the same day.

The regulations should be read carefully and must be fully complied with by anyone promoting or taking part in a street collection. Failure to comply with the Regulations is an offence, which may result in prosecution. (Regulations link to be added here. This can be copied from the Home page)

Please find attached below different IT formats of the “Street Collections Regulations including Accounts Form”

Please find below the Street Collections Programme for 2012

Two days each week (usually Tuesday and Saturday) are allocated throughout the year for London-wide collections except during the periods set aside for local Borough collections or during December (for carol singing only). Each charity is normally permitted only one day on which to collect in each year.

The programme caters for collection to be held -

Please forward any requests to TPHQMailbox-.Charities@met.police.uk

London-Wide Collection

Two days each week (usually Tuesday and Saturday) are allocated throughout the year except during the periods set aside for local Borough collections or during December. Each charity is normally permitted only one day to collect in each year.

Each charity or organisation must give written assurance that they can collect in 20 or more of the 32 London Boroughs on the same day.

How to Apply

Local Borough Collections

Six periods each year are allocated for those people who wish to collect within a Borough.

Dates for local Borough collections may vary slightly but the periods are usually -

The Mayor or Chief Executive of the Borough in which the collection is to be held must approve the collection and issue a letter of sponsorship, which must accompany the application.

Please note that Charities or organisations are allowed to collect only one day per year in each borough

How to Apply

Borough Carnival or Student Rag.

All Charitable Street Collections within the Metropolitan Police District are stationary.
Except when it is in connection with a Carnival, then collecting is allowed
"along the route " only

This type of collection falls within the definition of a local Borough collection, however
consideration is given to applications outside the local appeals periods if the collection is to be held on the occasion of a Carnival or student "Rag" that occupies a traditional date each year.

The Mayor or Chief Executive of the Borough in which the collection is to be held must approve the collection and issue a letter of sponsorship, which must accompany the application.

Rag-Week

To prevent problems arising over the accounts we now request that a permanent member of the college/university staff agrees to become the Chief Promoter (part 2 (1a) of schedule 1).

Please note that Charities or organisations are allowed to collect only one day per year in each borough

How to Apply

London Marathon

All Charitable Street Collections within the Metropolitan Police District are stationary.

Except when it is in connection with the London Marathon then collecting is allowed
"along the route " only.

Due to the speciality of this occasion it has been decided that there will be a relaxation concerning some of the procedures at this event.

They are,

  1. No letters of sponsorship are required.
  2. No limit to the number of charities collecting.
  3. Collection on the move (along the route only).

How to Apply

National and International Disaster Appeal Collections

A disaster appeal is a National or International disaster that is publicised in the media e.g. Tsunami, Pakistan Flooding etc.

How to Apply

A street collection application form should be submitted with an authorisation letter from the charity and a sponsorship letter from the mayors office to the below address

Charities Office
Empress State Building,
12th Floor East ,
Lillie Road,
London SW6 1TR


National Event Collections

Permits are not issued for collectors wishing to carryout street collections for Comic Relief, Children in Need or Sports Relief. Donations for these type of events are directly made via the internet, through the bank by payment slip or via the telephone to the advertised numbers shown on the television.

Local appeal periods are set out for local charities to collect only.

Members of the public who wish to collect on behalf of National charities can do so on private property by obtaining the owners permission.

Also we do not issue permits for major sporting events.

Applying for a Street Collection Permit

Please ensure that the application form is fully and correctly completed and accompanied where appropriate by any necessary information and/or letter of sponsorship.
It should be sent to:
Charities Office
Empress State Building,
12th Floor East ,
Lillie Road,
London SW6 1TR

Telephone: 0207 161 4295

All applications whether London-wide or of a local nature are referred to an advisory Committee for their recommendations before any permit is granted or refused. It is important to allow sufficient time for requests to be considered. Application forms must be received well in advance of the date proposed for the collection, but at the latest they must be received by the first day of the month preceding the month in which the collection is to be held, for example if a permit is required for a date in September than the application must be received by 1st August.

The collection date requested may not always be available and the applicants should be prepared to consider alternative dates.

If you are a first time collector you will be required to submit detailed information and literature about the aims and objectives of the fund along with copies of accounts for the previous three years if applicable.

After the Collection has taken place

Attention is drawn to section 19 of the regulations, which sets out the procedure for submission of audited accounts etc. All the items required under this regulation MUST be submitted within three months and it is essential that this time scale be adhered to. Failure to comply with the regulations may prejudice any future applications.

a) Accounts should be submitted on schedule 2, showing the amount collected and any expenses or payment incurred. It should be certified by two of the persons responsible for the collection, and a qualified accountant and not later then three months from the date of the collection.

b) Expenses should be kept to a minimum. A maximum of 10% of the total collection is permissible for the first time collection, subsequent collections should be well below this.

c) A list showing the names of the collectors and amounts collected in each box should also be submitted together with the accounts.

d) An article shall be published in a newspaper, showing the area in which the collection took place, the amount collected and any expenses incurred.

e) If the total of the collection was £400 or less then a waiver may be requested for the signature of an accountant on the schedule 2 and the publication of a newspaper article.

If the collection was cancelled please notify in writing to:
Charities Office
Empress State Building,
12th Floor East ,
Lillie Road,
London SW6 1TR

Telephone: 0207 161 4295

GUIDELINES FOR STREET COLLECTIONS WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN POLICE DISTRICT

1) No collector shall be under 16 years of age, unless the collection is in connection with a procession, then collectors may be under 16 years of age, but not less than 14, as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult.

2) Collectors should be stationary accept when the collection is accompanied by a procession.

3) Collectors should stand at least 25 metres apart.

4) Collectors should not cause danger, obstruction, inconvenience or annoyance to any person.

5) All collection boxes/buckets should display the name of the charity or fund collecting and should be securely sealed.

6) No animal should accompany collections.

7) Collectors should carry a written authority or badge signed on behalf of the Chief Promoter.

8) Collectors should probably be discouraged from hiring "fancy dress" etc. as the cost would almost certainly exceed the 10% expenses allowed for a collection.

9) No payment should be made to collectors.

10) A sample badge or letter of authority should be submitted to the Charities office before the collection takes place.

Chuggers (Direct Debit collectors on streets)

These type of collections are not issued by the Metropolitan Police. The PFRA (Public Fundraising Regulatory Authority) license them.

Any complaints should be sent to info@pfra.org.uk

There contact telephone number is 0207 401 8452

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