Canal & River Trust wants more chuggers

FOLLOWING its failure to recruit 7,000 'friends' in its first year by using a professional agency, Canal & River Trust (CaRT) is now resorting to recruiting its chuggers itself in the London area, writes Allan Richards.

Londoners now have the opportunity to become CaRT chuggers, who will attempt to recruit 'friends' who it is hoped will donate a monthly sum of money towards CaRT.

Only 2,500

CaRT's plans were to grow regular donors at the rate of 7,000 per year over a 10 years period giving it 70,000 donors after 10 years. Indeed, these regular givers were to be the backbone of of CaRT's 'charitable giving' income producing 58% of the £4.3m net it projected it would receive from charitable sources by 2022.

However, whilst CaRT reduced its self imposed target of 7,000 to 3,000, it is now admitting that at the end of the 2012/13 financial year only 2,500 'friends' had been recruited.

CM Fundraising

To date, CaRT has been using one of the most prestigious chugging companies, CM Fundraising, whose client list includes RSPB, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, The Woodlands Trust, Dartmoor Preservation Society and Soil Association.

However, it is now attempting to recruit its own part-time staff who are willing to work a minimum of three 2pm to 7pm shifts on London's towpaths at £9 per hours to recruit 'friends'.

Its advert says 'Canal & River Trust are looking to gather together a team of friendly and passionate people who love their wildlife to raise awareness and donations for the charity on the footpaths and along the canals of London!' adding, 'You will be talking to the other path users, telling them about the charity and looking to get people signed up to a small monthly donation.'

Placing the blame

So who is to blame for the poor recruitment of 'friends' in the first year? Is it government for delaying the launch of CaRT by three months? Is it CM Fundraising? Is it the Jubilee or the Olympics? Can we blame it on the weather?

Sadly, it does not really matter. In 2013/14, CaRT intend to spend £77.5m maintaining our waterways. However, they need to spend £130m just to stop them deteriorating from last years condition.

An extra £4.3m in ten years time makes little difference, even if it is achieved.

[The Urban Dictionary’s definition of Chugger—A paid 'charity' street worker (read: student) who has been trained to believe that they are carrying out a worthy task, improving peoples' lives by conning Joe Public out of their money for this week's Good Cause.]