Residents in Denbighshire are being alerted to the problem of commercial firms asking for donations of clothing for third-world countries.
Denbighshire Trading Standards warn that some of these collections are not for charity and any items collected are likely to be exported and sold abroad rather than donated for needy causes.
The Council would also like to stress that there are legitimate local organisations and charities operating who ensure your donations are used or recycled for the benefit of the community
Each year in the UK charities lose millions in income because of house-to-house clothing collections by commercial firms, which mislead the public into thinking they are for charity.
Householders in the county have reported receiving bags this week asking for clothes to be donated to provide help in Eastern European countries
You can check whether a charity is a properly registered on the Charitiy Commission’s website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk.
Any numbers quoted may ONLY be a registered number for a Limited Company listed with Companies House. A company registration number is NOT the same as a charity registration. You can check a company registration number on www.comapnieshouse.gov.uk look for the webcheck section
If a collection does not give a registered charity name or number it will normally be a commercial collection where the items collected will be sold for profit. Normally these collections work their way across a region so we would urge all residents to be wise to this practice.
If in doubt look for local organisations or charities who ensure your donations are used or recycled for the benefit of the community. Make use of collection bins at recycling centres and also check the details before you use any bag that is dropped through your door out of the blue, as local collections will drop and collect on a regular basis.
If you have concerns about a collection then please contact Consumer Direct Wales on 08456 040506
