Charitable Collections

Charity Collection

Information on how to collect money or other property in public places for charitable purposes.

Charity Collection Policy

Charity Collection Regulations

Street Collections

If you want to collect money or sell items in the street for charitable, non-profit purposes, you must apply for a licence.

Only one street collection permit will be issued in that area at anytime, however exceptional circumstances could apply.

In relation to street collections, the collections of direct debits for charitable purposes will need to be licensed by way of a street collection permit.

What you need to apply

Completed application form.

A letter of authority between the organiser and the benefiting charity.

Where the proposed collection is to sell charitable items in Clacton Town Centre using a stall or table, permission must also be sort from the relevant department of the Council.

An application must be made no less than one calendar month and no more than three calendar months before the proposed collection date.

After your collection

Within one month after the date of any collection, the person, society, committee, or other body of persons responsible for the collection shall forward to Tendring District Council Licensing Authority, a statement in the form set out in the Schedule to the Regulations, unless there are multiple collections in the same month, in which case the return must be submitted to the Licensing Authority within one month of the final collection.

Where a statement of return has been “NIL” or there has been a failure to return the statement to the Council within the statutory period, subsequent applications will be refused.

House to House Collections

If you want to collect money, clothing, or other goods from people’s homes, collect items that will later be sold to raise funds, or make door to door appeals for direct debits, you must apply for a licence.

The only exemption to the requirement to hold a licence are for those charities that hold a National Exemption Order. These Orders are issued direct to the organisation by the Cabinet Office and a list can be found in the Cabinet's guidance for the National Exemption Order Scheme. The exemption allows an organisation to collect in an area without applying for a licence, but it must inform the Council of the dates and areas of any planned collections.

What you need to apply

Completed application form

A letter of authority between the organiser and the benefiting charity.

An application must be made no less than one calendar month and no more than three calendar months before the proposed collection date.

After your collection

Within one month after the date of any collection, the person, society, committee, or other body of persons responsible for the collection shall forward to Tendring District Council Licensing Authority, a statement in the form set out in the Schedule to the Regulations, unless there are multiple collections in the same month, in which case the return must be submitted to the Licensing Authority within one month of the final collection.

Where a statement of return has been “NIL” or there has been a failure to return the statement to the Council within the statutory period, subsequent applications will be refused.

Essex Police Guidance

Essex Police have produced guidance for the public when giving charitable donations either in the street or from doorstep collectors and which also includes advice as well for legitimate charities and charity collectors about how we can all work together to prevent fraud against both the public and against legitimate charities.

Charities Safer Giving

Support Charity Not Crime

Licensing Team
Town Hall, Station Road, Clacton on Sea, Essex, CO15 1SE
licensingsection@tendringdc.gov.uk