Charitable collections

Tamworth Borough Council (“the Council) is responsible for licensing charitable collections within the Borough of Tamworth. Charitable Collections fall into two categories: House to House collections for money or property and Street Collections, which include collections for cash or the sale of articles in the street. If articles are sold for any form of personal gain or as a commercial activity then a Street Trading Consent will be required.

Charitable Collection Policy 2024- 2028

Street collections

Raising money or selling goods for charity in the street or any other public place requires permission from Tamworth Borough Council. These collections (usually referred to as “street collections”) most commonly take the form of a collector asking members of the public to make a donation in a collecting box. A Street includes any highway and any public bridge, road, lane, footway, square, court, alley or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not. This includes privately-owned land such as Ankerside Shopping Centre.

Obtaining consent means we can make sure collectors are authorised and that money is securely collected and properly accounted for. Consent is restricted to enable charities to raise money without their collection clashing with other charities.

There is no cost for issuing a permit, but conditions apply:

  • Charities must be registered with the Charity Commission or be a charitable organisation based within the borough of Tamworth or supporting residents of Tamworth Borough.
  • No more than 3 collections per charity per Calendar year will be allowed in the Tamworth Borough. Applications that consist of consecutive days will be considered as 1 collection
  • Only 1 collection will be permitted at any one time.
  • If collecting on privately owned land, a letter of permission from the landowner must be provided
  • Money must be collected in sealed containers
  • Notice of 1 month before the collection is required
  • The organiser must submit a return within one month of the collection taking place

Please see the relevant forms and guidance below:

House to house collections

House to House collections involve the collection of either money or items directly from a person’s property. They are a vital source of funds for many charities as they offer a positive opportunity for the public to support charities. However, they need to be carried out for the benefit of the charity and in accordance with the law.

Charities must be registered with the Charity Commission or be a charitable organisation based within the borough of Tamworth or providing support to residents of Tamworth Borough.

Tamworth Borough Council will only allow 1 House to House Collection in any one area at any one given time. Tamworth Borough Council will only allow an organisation to collect on six occasions per calendar year. The maximum duration of any one collection will not exceed 2 weeks.

Please read the guidance to understand all the conditions of a licence, then complete the application form and return it to us.

A separate return form needs to be submitted within one month of the collection taking place.

Direct Debit collections

Direct Debit collections are where pledges are collected for direct debit donations. This type of collection does not require permission from the Local Authority as there are no legal provisions for these types of collections.

In an attempt to regulate the frequency and location of Direct Debit collections the council has entered into a site agreement with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF)

To contact the CIOF please email:- compliance@ciof.org.uk

Please return applications for street collections or house to house collections to:  
Licensing, Tamworth Borough Council, Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, B79 7BZ
Tel: 01827 709 709. Email: publicprotection@tamworth.gov.uk