Street collections regulations

• The meanings of some of the words we use on this page:
  • Collection: a collection of money or a sale of articles for the benefit of charitable or other purposes
  • Promoter: a person who directs others to act as collectors
  • We: Dover District Council
  • Permit: a permit for a collection
  • Contributor: a person who contributes to a collection (this includes a purchaser of articles for sale) for the benefit of charitable or other purposes
  • Collecting box: a box or other receptacle that money from contributors is collected in
• You must have a permit to make a charitable collection  in any street or public place within the Dover District, other than at a meeting in the open air
• Applications for permits must be made no later than one month before the proposed collection date. 
• The collection must only by made during the day and hours stated on the permit.
• We may, in granting a permit, limit the collection to certain streets or public places.
• No person may assist or take in any collection without the written authority of a promoter.  This must be available for inspection by a Police or Dover District Council officer.
• No collection shall be made in any part of the carriageway of any street which has a footway.  This may be waived when the collection is part of a procession (eg carnival).
• No collection shall be made in a manner likely to inconvenience or annoy any person.
• While collecting:
  • a collector shall remain stationary
  • a collector or two collectors together must not within 25 metres of another collector
  
  This may be waived when the collection is part of a procession (eg carnival).
• No promoter, collector or person who is otherwise connected with a collection shall permit a person under the age of sixteen years to act as a collector.
• Every collector shall carry a collecting box.
• All collecting boxes shall be numbered consecutively and must be securely closed and sealed in such a way as to prevent them being opened without the seal being broken
• All money received by a collector from contributors shall immediately be placed in a collecting box
• All collectors must deliver, unopened, all collecting boxes in their possession to the promoter
• A collector must not carry or use any collecting box which:
  • does not prominently display the name of the benefitting charity
  • is not numbered
• A collecting box must be opened in the presence of a promoter and another responsible person or (if delivered, unopened, to a bank) a bank official. 
  • The person opening the collection box must count the contents immediately and enter the amount with the number of the collecting box on a list which they must then certify.

• No payment shall be made to any collector
• No payment shall be made out of the proceeds of a collection, either directly or indirectly, to any other person connected with the collection unless without our approval

• Within one month after the date of any collection the person to whom a permit has been granted must submit to us:
  • a street licence return form showing the amount received and the expenses and payments incurred. This must be certified by a qualified accountant or an independent responsible person acceptable to the Council
  • a list of collectors
  • a list of the amounts contained in each collecting box
• These regulations do not apply:
  • in respect of a collection taken at a meeting in the open air or
  • to the selling of articles in any street or public place when the articles are sold in the ordinary course of trade

Apply for a permit

• Apply for a street collection permit »

After the event

Within one month of the sale/collection please submit your return form

• Street collection permit return »

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