House-to-house collections

If you want to collect money or goods (that you plan to sell at a later date) from peoples homes for charity you will need a licence from us. Find out more at www.gov.uk. Some larger charities have National Exemption Orders (NEOs) from the Cabinet Office, allowing them to carry out house-to-house collections without needing a licence from the Council. However these charities must still notify and agree dates with us of upcoming collections to avoid clashes with local charity collections or by other charities with NEOs.

You can apply online for your house-to-house collection licence. Please apply at least two months before your proposed collection to allow yourself enough time to organise the Prescribed certificate of authority and Prescribed badges you will need. Please don’t apply more than six months ahead except in the case of nationally accepted flag days. You must follow our House-to-house Collection Regulations, which include information about the Prescribed certificate of authority and Prescribed badges. There is no charge for the licence.

We control the house-to-house collections allowed at any one time to avoid clashes. Please contact us before you apply so we can check the date you have in mind. You should let us know if your planned collection does not take place.

Direct debit canvassers

Charities should ensure their collections don’t overlap with dates of other charity collections that have received permission from us. To avoid any clash all Direct Debit collections must be agreed with us and collection licences issued. Please submit your application at least one month before the collection date.

After your collection

Within a month of your house-to-house collection you need to let us know how much you raised. You can do this online on www.gov.uk or by completing and returning one of the following forms to us:

• Proceeds of collection of money
• Proceeds of collection of property sold or collected for sale
• Proceeds of collection of property (other than money) given away, used or collected for giving away

We cannot issue a new collection licence to you if we are waiting for your return in respect of any previous house-to-house collection(s).

Bogus charity collections

Protect yourself from bogus charity clothing collections and other donation fraud by following advice from Action Fraud.

Publicising money raised from house-to-house collections

We publish details of the amounts raised from house-to-house collections so residents can see what was raised and how much given to charity. Charities with a NEO should submit accounts to the Cabinet Office; those records are not published.

• House to house collection returns 2024.
• House-to-house collection returns 2023.

Permitted applications

House to house authorised or permitted collections are as follows:

Unauthorised collections

These collections are being made by organisations without a current licence of NEO from the Cabinet Office, or they are exempt but have not agreed collection dates with us.

• Royal British Legion collection being made by Clothes for Charity.
• Cancer Recovery Foundation UK also known as the Breast Cancer Partnership collection being made by UXT British Recycling Company.
• Recycle Proline for Cancer Research and Genetics UK.
• Clothes Aid for NSPCC. Some of Clothes Aid’s collection bags for NSPCC have been stolen; it is working with the police in connection with an ongoing investigation. Information can be reported to the Metropolitan Police using crime reference no. 3805461/15. NB: Clothes Aid is authorised to undertake various house-to-house clothing collections for Macmillan Cancer Support/NSPCC throughout 2017 – see dates above.
• East London Textiles for Kidney Research UK.
• Skyecycle Ltd for National Hereditary Breast Cancer Helpline.
• N&A Recycling Ltd. on behalf of Leukemia & Myeloma Research UK.