High street shoppers deterred by ‘chugging’ says LGA research

The survey shows that more than two out of three councils (68 per cent) have received complaints about street fundraisers from the public, businesses and other groups including the voluntary sector.

Councils are calling for updated powers to clamp down on so-called ‘chuggers’ – charity ‘muggers’ who congregate in large numbers on busy shopping streets and use aggressive tactics to obtain donations.

According to the LGA survey, almost three in four councils (72 per cent) considered chugging to be a problem in their area, to at least a small extent. More than half (54 per cent) said street fundraisers were putting potential shoppers off visiting their local high street.

Many ‘chuggers’ are agency workers employed by major charities. Because they collect bank details rather than cash, they do not have to abide by the rules which apply to volunteers with charity collection tins.

The outdated Charities Act means that local authorities often have little power to regulate them, or intervene if they cause a nuisance to shoppers and businesses. Several councils have been working with charities to draw up voluntary codes of conduct for fundraisers to follow, which have started to prove successful at minimising problems. However local authorities need updated powers to act where chuggers persistently cause problems. Most complaints about chuggers came from residents.

Cllr Nilgun Canver, the LGA’s Licensing Champion, said: “Local authorities and charities have gone some way towards tackling the problem of intrusive fundraisers by establishing voluntary codes of conduct for street collections in their areas. We now need government to catch up and ensure that all councils have the necessary means to ensure that charities can prosper without residents and shoppers being unduly harassed.”