Charity warning on bag collections

CHARITABLE Oldhamers are being misled by commercial collection companies, it’s been claimed.

New research by British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops shows that as little as one third of items donated via letterbox charity bags stand a chance of ending up in goodwill shops.

The rest are from commercial companies, working with charities for financial gain, by selling the donated items overseas. BHF shops, including the one in Henshaw Street, Oldham, are now releasing the findings in advance of their BIG Donation stock appeal because they say it’s vital people in Greater Manchester understand where their donations are going.

The charity says that as well as causing confusion, the escalation in commercial activity has had a negative impact on donations.

BHF shops have seen a 36 per cent drop in household collections meaning a loss of £508,582 to the charity in the North-West alone over the last two years.

BHF Retail Director Mike Lucas, said: “It is vital commercial companies act responsibly and be transparent on their charity bags — particularly around how much profit the named charity will actually make from a collection.

“Householders in Greater Manchester have the right to know what happens to their donations and currently this information is not clear.”