He has given us permission to reproduce it here:

For some time now, I and many retailers in the town have been getting complaints from members of the public, regarding the sometimes aggressive nature adopted by specific organisations that raise money for charitable causes in Northbrook St.

I am specifically speaking about those individuals that operate as a team. They wear different coloured tabards, on different days, dependent upon which charity they are acting on behalf of. They locate themselves in specific areas usually outside specific shops and target likely ‘victims’, trained to home in on people of a specific age or gender. I am told that often their sales strategy equates to emotional blackmail. It must be, as why else would a person, with no forethought, hand over their bank details to a complete stranger in the street and say, ‘help yourself to some of my money’.

Retailers complain to me that some of their customers say they often avoid certain stores when these people are outside a main entrance looking for a potential target, I know customers now often take circular routes through the town to avoid these people.

None of these people will tell you the proportion of the money you give that is hived off each year for their commission, or salary, because they are trained not to declare this information. I have now established that they are extremely well paid for what they are doing, which is why their sole objective is to get you to sign a direct debit mandate which commits you to giving a monthly, fixed amount, of hard earned cash.

Now please don’t get me wrong, I am all for charities seeking income streams, to support their work, but to be accosted whilst out and about in your own precious spare time is definitely not on. There are many easier ways to support charities that not only are tax efficient, but also results in more of your money going to a particularly charity, that you wish to support.

The bottom-line is that giving your bank details to a complete stranger in the High Street is not to be recommended for obvious reasons. Ask your bank if they recommend such an action.

There is a relatively simple solution to this dilemma, but it is very much dependent upon you as an individual. The next time that you are approached by such individuals and even if you are not, as you are quite entitled to approach them, ask them this simple question, ‘how much will you earn if I were to sign your direct debit form?’ I can assure you, that their jaw will drop and they will more than likely respond, as trained, by saying that they do not operate on a commission basis. Please respond by saying that you know that they do and feel free to refer them to me should they persist that they do not. Think about it, no charity could afford to pay people who did not deliver targets.

If you feel embarrassed, then get the details of the charity from them and if you wish to support it, do it directly with the charity and cut out the ‘middle man’ who is effectively reducing the value of your donation, by the money they earn.

Unfortunately, because of the tactics used by them, (no actual cash changes hands), they do not actually need consent to be on the street, and there is no law that the Council or the Police can evoke to prevent them being there, as long as they do not use threatening behaviour.

But if you choose to exercise your rights you could help us to rid our fine town of these people, because if their income stream dries up they will go elsewhere.

When they have gone away, to annoy some other town, you can of course exercise an existing option, which is to pop into one of many business outlets in the town centre and put what ever money you wish to donate into a well managed and convenient charity box.

Importantly, this donation will be for a charity of your choosing, not lining the pockets of a well trained sales person on the street looking to make a quick buck..

Ask yourself if you would recommend to an elderly relative that they agree to hand over a specific amount of their pension each week, to a complete stranger in the street, for a cause that they had not supported all their life.

Go on! Do it, ignore these people and make a difference thus preventing some other vulnerable soul from being selected as a target. You know it makes sense.

I end by saying again, that if you wish to support a specific charity then. please do so, but make sure you know exactly what proportion of your donation reaches the beneficiaries.

Mitch Roberts. Town Centre Manager.