Charity bags (door-to-door collections)

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Charity bags (door-to-door collections)
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Aeolienne

Joined: 03 Apr 2008
Posts: 1498
Location: Leamington Spa, Warks

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 11:31 am Post subject: Charity bags (door-to-door collections)

The third bag in under a month has been shoved through my letterbox, this time in aid of one "Little Treasures Children's Trust".

Quote:

We urgently need: Adult and children clothing, paired shoes, bedding, handbags, belts, soft toys, perfumes and cosmetics

Having looked at their website, I was none too impressed by their professionalism, and a Google search revealed they have fallen foul of local licensing laws in some places (Illegal charity collection in Little Hadham). However, Craven DC have told me they do have a licence for this area.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 11:34 am Post subject:
We never put stuff out in those charity bags. Far too many of them are businesses which give a (small) percentage to charity. If we've got stuff that can't be passed on o someone we know but is still usable it goes to the charity shop in town.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 11:42 am Post subject:
I agree with Sean, we get inundated with these bags and many of them seem a bit dodgy. Far easier to take a few things to the charity shops in town when doing errands

Katieowl

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4317
Location: West Wales

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 11:46 am Post subject:

There was a story on the BBC radio news a couple of weeks (?) back about the amount of actual charity bags that are being stolen! Apparently the perpetrators have vans going around really early on the days of collection, hoovering them up before the 'real' charity collectors get there! The charity they interviewed, seemed to think they were loosing vast sums of money to this, and that it was organised!

Answer seems to be - take it to the shops yourself!

Kate

marigold

Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 11:50 am Post subject:

I like getting those bags - saves me buying bin bags. I donate "stuff" direct to charity shops too, but I don't think they are necessarily as pure as the driven snow. I was in a local CS recently and overheard the conversation when a driver arrived to pick up a load of items - the CS "manager" was flogging the items for 10p each to whatever organisation the driver worked for. I didn't enquire about what was going on, but it certainly sounded a bit off given that as a customer I would have to pay considerably more than 10p for a book or vase in there.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 11:59 am Post subject:
I get sceptical if I can't find a registered charity number, the website is tat, and a hotmail email address combined with a mobile number also sets alarm bells ringing

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 12:23 pm Post subject:
When we were in the UK we got them regularly but no-one ever collected them and they would sit in the road for days until dogs/cats/foxes opened them hoping for a snack. The only one I ever recognised as an actual charity was SCOPE which I did put out and as ever it was never collected.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8916
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 12:28 pm Post subject:
I use the bags to put over pots that are drying too fast The more I hear about these collections, the less I like them.

cir3ngirl

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 4846
Location: Cirencester

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 12:47 pm Post subject:
I would love to only get three bags a month. Some days here we get two through the letter box. I too use them as rubbish bags.

nats

Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Posts: 2374
Location: Swindon but not a Swindonian

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 12:48 pm Post subject:
I turn them inside out and then use them for delivering what we are giving to the BHF charity shop when we take them! That and for giving on clothes to friends etc

baldybloke

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1388
Location: Wiltshire

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 12:53 pm Post subject:
I've had at least three this week! I also take my redundant stuff direct to the charity shops.

Rowanlady

Joined: 21 Apr 2006
Posts: 195
Location: NE Hampshire

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 4:01 pm Post subject:

I used to get 10-12 a week - so I put up a NO JUNK MAIL OR CHARITY BAGS THANK YOU notice on the front door

Still get the odd bag now and again and the occasional bit of junk mail

Asked one woman junk mail deliverer if she could read - the answer I got was she didn't consider the Pizza Delivery Menu junk mail -

- told her I did and made her take it back!!

I get really fed up with all the excess paper and plastic generated - and as I recycle as much as possible and have wheelie bins I don't need rubbish bags

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sat Feb 05, 11 5:12 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

We never put stuff out in those charity bags. Far too many of them are businesses which give a (small) percentage to charity.

Yep.
At least some of them are honest though and say how much.
One came through my door:

PALS wrote:

All clothing, etc will be collected by Nesta Trading Company Ltd who will pay �50 per tonne to the charity for any clothing not wanted by Canine Pals Charity Shops.

Last I heard, the going rate for scrap clothes was nearer 50p/kg; ten times as much... and "PALS" don't seem to have any shops listed in the yellow pages...

I did a bit of rummaging and concluded the trustee of the charity was married to the proprietor of the collection company.
Moaned at the Charity Commission, but they did not seem to care. It does leave one wondering what their purpose actually is.

camaro

Joined: 31 Mar 2010
Posts: 178
Location: N. Ireland

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 11 12:50 pm Post subject:
I get on average one bag a day, and I've NEVER actually seen bags out to be collected in the morning. Do these people think that people only wear clothes once and then throw them away, or something?

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Mon Feb 07, 11 1:38 pm Post subject:
This must be a more urban thing, as I have never had a 'charity' bag delivered here. I take clothing/items direct to the Red Cross charity shop in the nearest town.

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