Keep it Legal & Safe

We are registered with the fundraising regulator. Please read and adhere to the their Code of Fundraising Practice and guidelines on use of the logo.

Using collection boxes is an easy way to raise more money but there are a few important dos and don’ts.

Comply with the law: You’ll need to get various permissions, and follow some key procedures to operate a fundraising collection box scheme legally.

There are four main type of collection, and each needs different considerations and permissions:

Street collections – collections in public places require permission from the local authority, and in Greater London from the Metropolitan Police.

Private collections – if your collection is taking place on private property, e.g. a shopping centre, a train station or a pub, you’ll need permission from the manager, or person responsible for the premises, as well as the local authority.

Static collection boxes – you’ll just need permission from the business owner for this. You’ll also need to make sure the box is secure, and cannot be opened by the public.

House to house collections – as with street collections, you’ll need permission from the local authority, or Metropolitan Police.

Best practice for charity collection boxes: All collecting tins and buckets must always be sealed when in use. If you need to empty a tin or bucket, do not do this alone and always replace the seal with a new one with your name on it. Using seals is essential to make sure tins and buckets have not been tampered with when you open them, and to reassure the public that they are secure.

Make sure the collection doesn’t cause, danger, obstruction, inconvenience or annoyance to any person.

Choose people to be involved who are polite and friendly – and who are willing to speak to the public about THB.

Collectors should have an ID badge - Make sure you have details of the license that you have. If you need more ID badges, speak to the Volunteer Coordinator at Head Office.

Collection box fundraising – a working example

Say for example you are thinking of singing carols and going door to door to collect money and you live in Chiswick. Here’s how you’d do it:

Get a license - Contact the Metropolitan Police and get a license. You need to apply before the first of the month before the collection date. So, if the carols are happening on the 15th December you would need to apply before the 1st November.

Once you have the exemption you need – you can start planning the buckets you will use; badges; branding; and so on.

Spread the word - Let people know in your local area that you’ll be visiting, to maximise the opportunity

The safety and well-being of volunteers is our highest priority. If, at any time, you feel at risk when handling cash for THB, your only priority is your own safety. You should never put yourself at risk to protect donations that you are holding.

Counting Cash - Cash must be counted as soon as possible after collection – once cash has been counted it is insured. Uncounted cash is always uninsured.

Two unrelated people should always count cash. If you are unable to count all of the cash at the end of an event, remove any bank notes in a private location, count and record them before transporting your buckets or tins.

If you have large amounts of coins to count (for example if you are coordinating a collection with lots of buckets), we recommend you take it to a Natwest, Ulsterbank or Metrobank counting machine. Please do not use cash machines that charge for counting money (for example those you find in supermarkets).

Static Collection Boxes - With a static collection box, you should always give a receipt to supporter when you collect money they have raised. Buy a receipts book and issue this when you collect the static box money. Make sure you then send a scanned copy to finance@thehygienebank.com.

A receipt helps us to record how much someone has donated and provides reassurance to supporters that we record details of donations properly.

Wherever possible, count donations with the supporter (for example if you are emptying a collecting box in a shop, ask if there is an office where you can count the cash with an employee) and then give them a receipt with the actual amount received. If it is not possible to count immediately, issue a receipt with the words “uncounted” written on it. Do not guess or estimate how.

Banking the Cash - Cash should be banked, where possible, by the end of the day after your collection and must be banked within five working days. Take the money to any Natwest bank with the charity’s account number and sort code. Make sure you complete a paying in/fundraising form and email finance@thehygienebank.com for further details for paying in.

Version Dated: November 2019

Make sure any electronic or paper record you keep about people involved in a fundraising event complies with data protection law. As a rule of thumb, don't keep information about people any longer than you have to, and don't share information or data about someone without their permission. More information can be found at the Information Commissioner's Office.

If your event involves the sale of alcohol and/or live or recorded music, dancing, showing of a film or performance of a play, an indoor sporting event (including a boxing or wrestling match), or any entertainment of a similar nature, you may need a licence.

You can check whether your event will require a public entertainment or alcohol licence on the Government’s website. Your event venue may already hold a licence, but if not, you will need to apply for a ‘Temporary Events Notice’ (TEN) via your local authority. A TEN usually costs around £20 and you can begin the application process here.

If you use external suppliers for equipment or services, make sure you use a reputable company. Ask to see a copy of their Public Liability Insurance and risk assessment in advance. If anything looks unsafe on the day, stop the activity immediately.

You may need to have first aid provision at your event. This will depend on how many people are involved, the type of activity they are doing, and what first aid facilities are already available at the venue.

If you think you might need first aid support, check with an organisation such as St John’s Ambulance or the Red Cross. They will be able to advise you further and can also provide first aid support for your even

This is vitally important. Please take great care when handling food and work to basic rules for safe preparation, storage, display and cooking. The Food Standards Agency provides guidelines for preparing, handling and cooking food and is useful for people organising charity and community events involving food. If you are using a caterer, you will need to ensure that they have a food hygiene certificate and public liability insurance.

Follow the professional advice of equipment manufacturers and staff supervising any facilities. Events need to be adequately risk-assessed to find, reduce and control the risk to all those taking part and members of the public who may be attending. It is best practice to complete a risk assessment form to show that you have considered and mitigated any potential risks around your event.

The Hygiene Bank cannot accept liability for any loss, damage or injury suffered by yourself or anyone else as a result of taking part in a fundraising event organised in aid of The Hygiene Bank.

In addition to health and safety issues, please consider possible risks to The Hygiene Bank’s reputation. If you are using third parties please check these are reputable organisations. If the nature of your event may be considered controversial by some, contact Head Office.

By organising your own fundraising event in aid of The Hygiene Bank, you are responsible for taking adequate steps to make sure that the event poses no risk to others. Check that any buildings or equipment that you hire are covered. Insurance is often included in the hire fee but not always. You may need to consider arranging public liability cover for some events, which will protect you against claims made by third parties for injury or property damage as a result of negligence. In most cases, for public and/or hazardous events, you may need public liability cover in place. For private events this may not be necessary. Please seek advice if you are unsure.

Please ensure that all materials promoting your event specify that it is ‘in aid of’ The Hygiene Bank.

There are strict legal requirements about the organisation of raffles, lotteries and prize draws. More information about these rules can be found at the Gambling Commission. As a rule, if you are planning a raffle or other game of chance (such as a tombola or duck race) as part of an event, and tickets will only be sold at that event, you would not require a licence for this. If, however, you wish to sell tickets in advance, or to people not attending the event, this would require a licence, or an alternative such as a prize draw.

If there are children at your event, you should ensure that they have permission to take part and have someone to look after them. Adults looking after children should have carried out appropriate checks. See the Government's Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) information for more guidance.