Bogus charity collections

Southwark residents are being urged to be on the lookout for rogue collectors playing on people's charitable nature.

Flyers requesting unwanted clothes and other basic goods are landing on doormats across the borough. Kind-hearted households are putting out their unwanted items expecting them to head off to people less fortunate.

Although these items may make it to the third world and other areas where they are desperately needed, they are not being given away but are being sold at 'affordable prices'. Not only are these operations making a profit from selling on the items they are stopping genuine charities providing the supplies for free.

There is further confusion where the flyer gives a registration number which people take to be a registered charity number, but which is in fact a limited company number.

Trading Standards advises residents to only donate clothes to registered charities either through their official shops or through legitimate charity collections which state a registered charity number. The numbers can be easily checked for authenticity by contacting the Charity Commission on 0870 333 0123

Contact us

Southwark trading standards service
Tel: 020 7525 2000
Fax: 020 7525 5705
tradingstandards@southwark.gov.uk 
The Chaplin Centre
Thurlow Street
London
SE17 2DG