Chugg off!

I HAVE a pet peeve whenever I go into any town or city centre. I can't stand the annoying people who jump out in front of me wanting some of my money, writes Mick Fitzgibbons.

I'm not talking about the genuine people scraping enough money to get by on a day-to-day basis by selling the Big Issue (which I happen to think is worthwhile) At least I do see something for my money. So I do buy a copy of the Big Issue from time to time.

Chuggers

The people I dislike are the 'Chuggers' or Charitable Muggers found hunting in packs on our high streets. Like some sort of street performers. They all seem to be very excitable and way over the top. They have perfected the art of walking backwards even when you have said a polite 'no', and then have to revert to another more direct phrase to get your message across.

Chuggers are also a favourite of pick-pocket groups who like to have a dip in your pocket or bag while you are distracted.

CaRT

Why is it that CaRT and other charities seem to feel that I and everyone else, are incapable of finding a worthwhile charitable cause to lend our support? The thing is, I am much less likely to lend my support a charity that doles out money, that has already been given as a charity donation.

Where the money is then passed on to some company that organises (for a fat fee) Chuggers to annoy me in the street. I simply feel embarrassed at being confronted and having to ask them to go away in the street.

Keep details secure

I hate being accosted by a complete stranger in the street. There is no way in this world that I am ever going to give any information of my bank details to a complete stranger in the street. I spent years teaching my children how to avoid being accosted by strangers. We are constantly warned by our banks to keep our details secure.

I would question the effectiveness of such an approach, and I would also question the sheer morality of fund raising in such a way. Not only do I want to escape the attentions of a street collector, I want the whole process to be banned. I also refuse to support in any way any charity that fund-raises by accosting me in the street. However, there are towns like Newcastle that want to go a step further with a by-law making Chugging an offence.

Ask yourself, how safe are you in giving information to a chugger?

Fake chuggers

There have been a number of reports about 'Fake Chuggers' taking donations on the street. For instance people like Sonata Moyinwin, who already has 79 convictions for dishonesty was jailed for eight months by Southwark Crown Court.  The court heard how Moyinwin and others drove to the West End in a top-of-the-range BMW, then implored people to 'please help the homeless'. Such examples are likely to contribute to the growing and understandable reticence of the public to give money to street collectors, whatever identification they can provide.

Charity Chuggers have also been the subject of an undercover investigation by the Sunday Telegraph, following a tip-of from a whistleblower. The Telegraph discovered that members of the public stopped in the street, were being aggressively intimidated, misled and lied to by chuggers in order to persuade them to divulge their mobile phone numbers, to facilitate a so called 'text' donations campaign.

Taken £1.2m in dividends

You may have seen offers like 'Text the word Vole or Tree to 12345 to give £3 a month.' The chuggers were working on behalf of a leading charity and it was revealed that its two founders, who were also the sole shareholders in the company, had taken £1.2 million in dividends in the last three years. Chugging is providing an opportunity for others who believe that in their case 'charity' begins at home. The sooner we all stop giving money this way the better.

The vast majority of those who are Chugging in the street are paid by an agency. Chuggers receive an hourly rate of around £10 to £12. The agency is hired directly by the charity. Often the whole of the first year's take on the charitable donations that are collected on the street is used just to fund the Chugging agency.

Acceptable

So what is acceptable in the street?

I would prefer to have people handing out information on the charity. I can then peruse the information at my leisure, so I can choose to support or reject my support at my leisure. I do not want to have to make an instant commitment to a Chugger in the street.