Proposals to reduce the number of face-to-face fundraisers operating in Birmingham by more than 70 per cent are set to be discussed by councillors this week. Birmingham City Council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee will consider an agreement drawn up with the Public Fundraising Association (PFRA) to limit charity fundraisers, also known as ‘chuggers’, activity in the city centre.
Teams of fundraisers, of up to six people, currently operate over seven city centre zones including Broad Street, Bull Street, Cherry Street/Union Street, Colmore Row, Corporation Street, High Street and New Street, which includes two zones. In total, up to 42 fundraisers could be asking people to sign up to regular charity donations on any given day.
Committee members and PFRA representatives were taken on a walking tour of the city centre and Sutton Coldfield on 17 July 2015 to identify key locations where face-to-face fundraising took place.
Following this visit, officers suggested the number of fundraisers be limited to two per zone, but the PFRA responded with a revised proposal, which includes:
- Reducing the number of fundraisers per zone from six to four
- No fundraisers to work on New Street on Wednesdays and Saturdays
- No more than three zones to operate on any given day
- Only two zones to operate on Wednesdays
- No neighbouring zones to operate on the same day
- Implementing a shorter zone in Corporation Street to avoid it overlapping with New Street
- Broad Street and Victoria Square no longer to operate as fundraising zones
These proposals, if agreed at committee, would see a maximum of 12 fundraisers operating in the city centre on permitted days, a possible reduction of 71 per cent.
A proposed consultation with retailers and companies within the city centre Business Improvement Districts is set to take place following the committee’s discussion of the PFRA’s proposals.
