# FRSB upholds ‘No bags’ complaint against Clothes Aid & NSPCC

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/04/frsb-upholds-no-bags-complaint-clothes-aid-nspcc/
- Published: 2016-08-04T08:09:41+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) has upheld a complaint against [Clothes Aid](http://clothesaid.co.uk/)
and the [NSPCC](http://www.nspcc.org.uk/) in one of its last ever adjudication rulings.**

The [FRSB](http://www.frsb.org.uk/) upheld the complaint about the continued delivery
of unwanted clothing collection bags to a household in Cambridgeshire. The complainant
contacted the NSPCC in November last year to object to receiving an unwanted collection
bag from Clothes Aid, which conducts house-to-house collections on behalf of the
charity.

The complainant had first contacted Clothes Aid to request no further bag deliveries
to their address in September 2007. While the company provided immediate assurances
that no further bags would be delivered, Clothes Aid had gone on to deliver five
further collection bags to the complainant’s address, four of which were on behalf
of the NSPCC.

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The complainant informed the FRSB that there was a sign on the door of the household,
making it clear that any such materials should not be delivered. However, according
to Clothes Aid, its bag distributor did not see such a sign when the bag was dropped
off at the property and no signage was apparent during a subsequent visit.

The complainant believed that the continued delivery of unwanted collection bags
hindered their right to privacy, constituted harassment and demonstrated a lack 
of respect for their wishes not to receive unwanted marketing materials.

The FRSB concluded that Clothes Aid did not have adequate procedures in place to
ensure that the complainant’s wishes were respected and, as such, that Clothes Aid
had breached the ‘Respectful’ principle of the Code of Fundraising Practice (Code).

While considering NSPCC’s responsibilities in this case, the FRSB found that the
charity had made reasonable efforts to monitor the actions of Clothes Aid. Both 
Clothes Aid and NSPCC have subsequently enhanced their processes to ensure that 
the wishes of householders who choose not to receive collection bags are met.

The FRSB believes that ‘No bags’ signage must be respected and that collection bags
should not be delivered to households displaying them. Because this issue is not
currently addressed in the Code, the FRSB has highlighted the issue to the new Fundraising
Regulator, who will consider whether to develop additional specific guidance for
fundraisers.

The adjudication report has now been passed to the new Regulator, which took on 
regulatory responsibility for charity fundraising and ownership of the Code of Fundraising
Practice in July 2016.
Commenting on the adjudication, Stephen Dunmore, chief executive
of the [Fundraising Regulator](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/), said:

> “This adjudication highlights the need for charities and agencies to respect the
> wishes of members of the public in relation to fundraising asks. ‘No bags’ signage
> means what it says. We will consider whether the Code of Fundraising Practice 
> needs to be amended to reinforce that point.”

A final two FRSB investigations will be published and passed to the new Regulator
in the coming weeks.
 

 * **[Fundraising Standard Board appoints Turner PR](https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/07/13/fundraising-standards-board-appoints-turnerpr/)(
   13 July 2009)**