Charity retailing good practice code launched
Howard Lake | 9 June 2005 | News
The Association of Charity Shops has launched a Code of Charity Retailing to promote good practice in charity retailing and to maintain public confidence in charity shops.
The Code covers all aspects of charity retailing. It has been developed specifically for charities that run shops, and its aims include promoting high standards and increasing support for and donations to charity shops.
The Association intends that the Code will help maintain public confidence in charity shops as a valuable form of charity fundraising.
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There is also a long-standing problem of organisations portraying themselves as charities and collecting goods from households using collection sacks and leaflets that cleverly mimic the look of legitimate charitable collections. By identifying legitimate charity shops, it will be easier to highlight these bogus collectors.
The Code of Charity Retailing has already been adopted by a wide range of charities, from large national organisations to local hospices. The Association believes that it is inclusive: it aims to promote the same high standards in all charity shops who sign up to the Code across the UK.
All organisations signing up to the Code of Charity Retailing must be members of the Association of Charity Shops.
Members of the Code will display a logo, which illustrates that it is a member of the ‘Code of Charity Retailing’ in their shops or on textile and book recycling banks, on house to house collection sacks and vans.
Initially, compliance with the Code of Charity Retailing will be voluntary for members of the Association of Charity Shops. Some charities may need additional training and support before they can comply with the Code. It is intended, however, that the Code will become mandatory for all members of the Association of Charity Shops in future.
Lekha Klouda, Executive Secretary of the Association of Charity Shops, said: “the Code of Charity Retailing is an important step forward for the sector, and serves to reassure people wanting to donate to, shop at or volunteer in a charity shop that has signed up to the Code that it will be operating within national good practice guidelines.”
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.