Charity Collection Bags (Oswestry Liberal Democrats)

Oswestry Liberal Democrats <info@oswestrylibdems.org.uk>

Charity Collection Bags

September 9, 2010 9:12 PM

It has been drawn to our attention, from friends in Whittington, that a number of apparently bogus charity collection bags that are being pushed through our letter box

Jo Swinson displays a range of bogus charity leaflets

Jo Swinson MP for East Dunbartonshire has complained regularly about bogus charity collection bags and now one of the companies 'Helpmates 'has moved on to us please see.

http://www.joswinson.org.uk/pages/boguscharities.html

Those bags from 'Helpmates' appear bogus - http://www.milngavieherald.co.uk/bearsdennews/Don39t-be-conned-by-Helpmates.5140140.jp

Bags from 'Supporting Arms' also seem bogus See http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Charity-bags-profit-police-warn-householder

Both are commercial organisations who make a profit from the collection and there is no evidence of a link to charities on the collection bags.

'RNLI' bags are genuine. The collection for them is run by a company called Local Community Recycling Services Ltd and they are the official collector - it checks out on the RNLI website.

'Little Treasures Children's Trust' is a registered charity, however, it appears to be run by East London Textiles Ltd, a commercial company that sell the donated goods and then give a contribution to charities. Looking at the accounts for LTCT on the Charity Commission website their total income for 2008/9 was £229k; expenditure £238k. Of the £238k expenditure, £157k was on wages and £12.5k was shown as charitable gifts!

Please draw your own conclusions