Save the kids collectors outside Dulwich station

[jennyh]

Hey

Two guys collecting for save the kids...not sure if I've just given money to a registered charity! No real reason to doubt them but I didn't take the time to look to see if they had badges and the collection boxes did look a bit homemade, does anyone know about this charity? Googled them but can't see anything that seems to fit the logo and name I saw.

Only gave a pound or so not going to break the bank but I realised how little notice I take when handing out to charity! Anyone know of this charity?

[giggirl]

This is not a registered charity. There is a charity in the US called Save the Kids but nothing in the UK.

Someone was on the forum last week recruiting for PAID chuggers to go out and raise money for this organisation. There were three separate threads and they have all been removed.

It is definitely NOT a registered charity and the people collecting are being PAID to do so.

It is up to you whether you give or not but personally I like to give my donations to people who are ACCOUNTABLE for the money they receive. Save the Kids, whoever they are, were unwilling to answer questions last week regarding accountability and claimed they were too small to be granted charitable status by the Charities Commission (which is actually not true).

[lcrutchlow]

I saw them as well ... didn't even get as far as looking for ID as their loud verbal appeals seemed to imply anyone who didn't give didn't care ... one would assume a genuine charity wouldn't be doing this.

[reeko]

Many charities pay street fundraisers - it is such a horrible job people wouldn't do it on a volunteer basis.

The main issue is that this is not a registered Charity. As a result there are no checks and balances on what they do with the money given to them and this is massively open to abuse.

I also think it is out of order to have a name so similar to Save the Children, a thoroughly reputable charity.

DON'T GIVE THEM ANY CASH FOLKS.

[jennyh]

I feel cheated! I knew that something wasn't right but wasn't really thinking as I often drop my loose change into boxes and everyone else seemed to be ignoring them. I didn't see the other threads, wish I had.

I always like to try and give some change and eye contact to genuine collectors as it seems like a thankless job sometimes but I will be more wary now. I am a regular charity giver in addition to one off bigger donations for disasters and appeals etc but always think hard about which I want to give to...must remember to apply the same to people collecting on the street!

Thanks everyone.

[JohnL]

I give to charity by direct debit and not in the street

I tell them this - I feel mean sometimes.

It'll be Penny for the Guy soon :)

[Sue]

jennyh Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I feel cheated! I knew that something wasn't

> right but wasn't really thinking as I often drop

> my loose change into boxes and everyone else

> seemed to be ignoring them. I didn't see the

> other threads, wish I had.

>

> I always like to try and give some change and eye

> contact to genuine collectors as it seems like a

> thankless job sometimes but I will be more wary

> now. I am a regular charity giver in addition to

> one off bigger donations for disasters and appeals

> etc but always think hard about which I want to

> give to...must remember to apply the same to

> people collecting on the street!

>

> Thanks everyone.

xxxxxxx

You shouldn't feel bad about it, you are obviously a nice generous person.

Better to be that than to be a suspicious scrooge-like person.

[edcam]

Where is "Dulwich Station"?

[reeko]

If you are a higher income bracket tax payer and you donate through direct debit, you might want to consider swapping to "giving as you earn". This means that even more money goes to your chosen charity. I swapped my direct debit and my charity got an extra ?7 per month.

Please see www.workplacegiving.co.uk for more details.

Also the more people who do this the less likely the government is to take it away Grrrrrr.

[giggirl]

jennyh Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I feel cheated! I knew that something wasn't

> right but wasn't really thinking as I often drop

> my loose change into boxes and everyone else

> seemed to be ignoring them. I didn't see the

> other threads, wish I had.

>

Jenny - sorry you feel cheated as you are obviously a generous person. Your instincts were correct so maybe trust your instincts in future. I'm glad that others were ignoring them.

A lot of people never give to charities and unfortunately this sort of thing gets twisted somehow so that such non-givers convince themselves that they are right never to give. Personally I give monthly by direct debit to my favourite charities so that they can get the tax back. I usually ignore people in the street unless I am 100% sure they are genuine registered charities. I always ignore chuggers.

[EDmummy]

This is a police issue. Anyone who saw these people should report them to the local community police via the contacts on this site. Include information on time as they may well be able to look at CCTV footage.

jennyh Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hey

>

> Two guys collecting for save the kids...not sure

> if I've just given money to a registered charity!

> No real reason to doubt them but I didn't take the

> time to look to see if they had badges and the

> collection boxes did look a bit homemade, does

> anyone know about this charity? Googled them but

> can't see anything that seems to fit the logo and

> name I saw.

>

> Only gave a pound or so not going to break the

> bank but I realised how little notice I take when

> handing out to charity! Anyone know of this

> charity?

[giggirl]

I don't think any laws have been broken.

[reeko]

No law broken uness they don't have a permit. This should be issued by the council. For central london, only registered charities get permits, don't know about the boroughs

[Alec John Moore]

Hi

As a fundraiser it's always great to hear from donors about their generosity. Here's a couple of links that should shed some light on the legality of the collection outside Dulwich station:

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200127/apply_for_a_licence/356/charity_collections/1

http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/guidance/code-of-fundraising-practice/legal-appendices/fundraising-in-a-public-place/street-collections--england-and-wales/

I don't really know about the law regarding this type of fundraising but it may be that they are in effect "begging" in a more sophisticated way. I can see how those who give would feel cheated if save the kids gave the impression they are collecting for a bona fide charity or on behalf of charities that do genuine good works.

As pointed out above, size doesn't matter when it comes to charity registration, it's the objects of the organisation that count. Any genuine fundraiser ought to be able to "sell" the good things that charities do if asked, and often when not asked.

Alec

[giggirl]

What really pisses me off is that at some time a genuine, registered charity will be outside the station or outside the Co-op and people will pass by, not giving because they aren't sure if it's a genuine thing. Shame on anyone whose actions take money from charities who need it.

[reeko]

Thanks for the info Alec

From the info on the Met police site they appear to have no licence

http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Street-collection-permits-issued/1400012686207/1400012686207

I work for a large charity and I know that these licenses are tightly controlled, as they should be, to ensure all collectors are bone fide and that donors don't get too peed off with being constantly hassled.

It is very irksome that other organisaitons calling themselves charities collect in this way without going through the proper channels - gives us all a bad name.

[NewWave]

Are there the guys who carry big collection buckets with big stickers of them ?

They sometimes collect wearing fancy dress costume?

[Chick Pea]

Save the Kids is a "grassroots organisation" according to the website

http://savethekidsgroup.org/

[jennyh]

All very interesting and valid points. Re the link to the savethekidsgroup site...it is something different, the labels on the collections boxes were very different, logo was different so I can only presume a different 'charity'.

[giggirl]

Chick Pea Wrote:

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> Save the Kids is a "grassroots organisation"

> according to the website

> http://savethekidsgroup.org/

Chick Pea - can you not do a little bit more reading before posting misleading stuff like this. The link you've posted is to an American charity, based in the USA and operating in the USA. Are these people fundraising in SE22? No they are not, so therefore not helpful of you to post this link which gives credence to the mob collecting from the station this morning.

[Chick Pea]

giggirl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Chick Pea Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Save the Kids is a "grassroots organisation"

> > according to the website

> > http://savethekidsgroup.org/

>

>

> Chick Pea - can you not do a little bit more

> reading before posting misleading stuff like this.

> The link you've posted is to an American charity,

> based in the USA and operating in the USA. Are

> these people fundraising in SE22? No they are

> not, so therefore not helpful of you to post this

> link which gives credence to the mob collecting

> from the station this morning.

giggirl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What really pisses me off is that at some time a

> genuine, registered charity will be outside the

> station or outside the Co-op and people will pass

> by, not giving because they aren't sure if it's a

> genuine thing. Shame on anyone whose actions take

> money from charities who need it.

First of all I very much doubt the presence of Save the Kids will impede upon the fund raising of registered charities but being a registered charity does not guarantee that it's a worthy cause.

Secondly the link posted is the only web presence for Save the Kids - it is not beyond the realms of possibility that collections were being made here for an overseas organisation is it?

What "really pisses me off"is the way some UK charities get away with ripping of supporters and taxpayers whilst lining their leaders' pockets.

http://www.uckg.org/press/?page_id=33926

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/private-hospital-chain-nuffield-health-1866531

And the way charities are used as tax avoidance screens:

http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/Finance/article/1180380/charities-named-beneficiaries-tax-avoidance-scheme-say-received-no-donations/

[Alec John Moore]

Hi

I've always been fascinated by what motivates individuals to give to a good cause, registered charity or not. As a rule I'm generally very selective about the projects or organisations I decided to support so I invariably don't give to chuggers or those who come to my door of an evening just when I'm making dinner for the kids. Although that can make it easier to quickly and politely say no thank you before they launch properly into their spiel.

But, Chick Pea, the "issue" of pay in the sector is an unhelpful distraction. The real issue in my view is how organisations can be effective in addressing the social problem they exist to tackle and how they communicate that to their supporters and the wider public. There is a lot to be done by the sector in educating donors on how the system works and the impact that not for profit organisations have on social injustice. Still, I think that most people will continue to give according to their heart more than according to their head. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned as long as the regulators are effective in preventing abuse of the giving public's good will.

[Chick Pea]

Alec, is foolish to dismiss pay in the sector as an "unhelpful distraction". Not only does it undermine public confidence in the sector but at grassroots levels it diverts revenue from the needy to the greedy.

[giggirl]

Chick Pea Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Secondly the link posted is the only web presence

> for Save the Kids - it is not beyond the realms of

> possibility that collections were being made here

> for an overseas organisation is it?

>

Yes Chick Pea it is completely beyond the realms of possibility that a charity which works with kids in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York and has no presence whatsoever outside of the USA is fundraising at East Dulwich Station. It really isn't enough to Google things and then randomly post links without engaging your brain first. Posting links to a website of a bona fide charity, as you did, gives credence where non is due.

[reeko]

Since working for a charity, I now ask alot more questions of the charities I donate to.

I only donate to registered charities, otherwise the risk of abuse is too big

I only donate if they have a well defined strategy with clear goals and can demonstrate the impact they have had in the past. Without these there is a real risk that donations will be wasted.

I only give to causes that are people focussed (no donkey sanctuary for me!)

Having seen what it takes to run a charity well, I am less concerned about pay of senior executives. I think employing only those executives willing to work for considerably less pay then they could be getting elsewhere is a false economy. It is a competitive market place and you get what you pay for. I would be more concerned that the charity has a strong governing council that can hold any chief exec to account.

I suppose in summary I am careful about only giving to charities that are professional at what they do, and work for a cause I care about.