Charity Commission warns of bogus UK floods charity

Howard Lake | 17 December 2004 | News

A Manchester-based scam claiming to raise funds for those affected by the Boscastle flood is conning the public, the Charity Commission announced today.

The UK National Flood Appeal Fund is not a registered charity, says the regulator, which wants to make sure that potential donors are well aware of this fact.

The Commission’s announcement follows a BBC documentary, “Boscastle at Christmas”, transmitted earlier this week which has placed Boscastle back in the public eye. People who want to give money to a genuine cause should give directly to the local council’s fundraising body North Cornwall Flood Appeal, which is appealing for funds to help regenerate the deluged town.

Head of Status at the Charity Commission, Jane Grenfell, said: “We received an application from the UK National Flood Appeal Fund and have given advice to the group, but it has not responded. This appeal fund is not set up as a charity and we have no choice but to refuse the application. We always want to encourage people to give, but to give safely and to a registered charity.”

The Commission advises that if you have any doubts about the legitimacy of an appeal or collection contact your local trading standards office, the police or call the Commission’s helpline on 0870 333 0123. Being able to provide the leaflet and any additional information, such as registration numbers for vehicles used, is also very helpful to these agencies.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.