British adults have broadly unfavourable opinions on fundraisers who approach people in the street and would like to see fewer of them
On Thursday MPs warned charities that use face-to-face street fundraising – sometimes known as “chugging” – face a regulatory crack down if they cannot restore public confidence in the practice. The House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) released a report that concluded that the policy of self-regulation currently currently in effect for charities using these street fundraisers should be “placed on notice”.
YouGov research shows that nearly three quarters (73%) of the British public thinks unfavourably of face-to-face street fundraisers.
Almost the same proportion of the public (70%) would like to see fewer of them.
The poll also found that street fundraisers are commonly encountered in Britain. 54% of British adults are approached by charity fundraisers in the street at least a few times a month – and one in every five (20%) Britons is approached a few times a week or more.
Colin Lloyd, chair of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB), which oversees an independent regulatory scheme for fundraising and monitors complaints, said the findings of the PASC report on face-to-face street fundraising “should not be taken lightly. In terms of numbers, the volume of complaints reported in this area is relatively low, but any one instance of ‘public distress’ is of great concern to us. The sector must listen carefully to any such feedback about their fundraising and address it, working hard to minimise future concerns.”
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