The numbers of chuggers preying on passers-by on Birmingham city centre streets are being slashed by 70 per cent it has been confirmed.
But councillors have demanded the charity fundraising industry negotiates an even larger cut following calls from city centre businesses who say the chuggers, a term for charity fundraisers, are a nuisance and put off visitors.
Currently, there can be up to 42 of the face-to-face charity collectors on the city centre streets but in two months time they will be capped at 12 – in three groups of four - by the summer.
The deal with the Public Fundraising Association (PFRA) will then last for three months, during which time the council will talk to businesses and the public. After that there will be a review and a further reduction considered.
Poll reveals 95% of Brummies think there are too many chuggers
Licensing committee member Mike Leddy (Lab, Brandwood) said: “The British people don’t mind giving to charity, we always dig deep for Red Nose Day, Children in Need, Sport Relief and the disaster appeals on the TV.
“But we do not like being mugged in the street.”
He said that after the three month trial the aim is to get the numbers down to two groups of four collectors, for just two days per week.
A Birmingham Mail online poll found that 95 per cent of readers thought there are too many charity fundraisers in the city centre.
Polls by the city centre business and retail industry groups have also found that customers have been deterred by aggressive fundraising.
Some members of the committee wanted to push for a further reduction now, rather than take the three month trial.
But Cllr Gareth Moore (Cons, Erdington) urged the committee to take the deal to cut the numbers to 12, which he described as a ‘significant improvement’.
He pointed out that the council had already wasted several years trying to secure an all out ban only to be blocked by Government.
He said: “We have to allow some charities to collect. They are organisations that do some public good. We have an agreement in place, it is easier then to review it rather than leave it unregulated.”
