That is just horrendous, Alpaca. Did you complain?
I found this useful, but not sure if it applies across UK nationwide or just England? And only applies to charities who are members of the PFRA: www.pfra.org.uk/good-practice-legislation/our-rules/
Best behaviour
While on duty, fundraisers MUST NOT:
act in any way that might reasonably cause members of the public to be or become startled
or anxious
act dishonestly or manipulatively, or deliberately seek to make a potential donor feel guilty
act in any other way that a reasonable person might judge brings the charity they are representing into disrepute
1
. This includes:
smoking or drinking alcohol in charity branded clothing
taking or being under the influence of illegal drugs
lewd or aggressive behaviour
exploiting their position for personal gain (eg. soliciting a job offer,
propositioning someone for a date, or seeking a discount on goods or services)
any other behaviour that harms the reputation of the fundraising profession or
the charity being represented in the eyes of the public
Sanction
The penalty is 100 points per incident.
RULE Fr2: Managing vulnerability
Fundraisers MUST NOT sign up any person at any time who they may reasonably conclude is, or may be, incapable of informed consent for any reason. These may include:
incapacity due to illness or disability
age-related confusion
learning difficulties
language competence
financial competence
times of stress and / or anxiety
intoxication through drugs or alcohol
any other circumstance where capacity is reasonably in doubt
Fundraisers MUST NOT sign up any person under 18 years of age.
Sanction
The penalty is 100 Points per incident.
1 For the purposes of clarification, the mere presence of a fundraiser or fundraisers in a location cannot be construed as ‘bringing into disrepute’.
PFRA Rule Book (Street) 5
RULE Fr3: Solicitation statements
Fundraisers MUST make legally compliant solicitation statements.
Further information can be found in the Guidance section at the back of this booklet.
Sanction
The penalty is 200 points per incident.
RULE Fr4: The ‘three-step’ rule
Once an approach has been made to a member of the public, a fundraiser MUST NOT take more than three steps alongside or in pursuance of that member of the public, even if asked to do so.
For the avoidance of doubt, ‘three steps’ involving fundraisers deliberately obstructing a member of the public will be considered a breach of Rule Fr8 (see below).
If the member of the public has not come to a halt within the three steps allowed for, the attempted engagement MUST be terminated.
Sanction
The penalty is 100 Points per fundraiser, per incident.
RULE Fr5: Deliberate obstruction
While on duty, fundraisers MUST NOT deliberately obstruct members of the public.
Sanction
The penalty is 100 points per fundraiser, per incident.
RULE Fr6: Immediate termination
Fundraisers MUST NOT initiate a conversation or continue to engage a member of the public
if that person clearly indicates – by word or gesture – that they do not wish to be engaged.
Sanction
The penalty is 100 points per incident.
RULE Fr7: Committed giving
Fundraisers MUST NOT suggest to any member of the public that the engagement they are attempting to initiate is ‘without commitment’. By definition, all engagements are ultimately ‘about long-term commitment’.
Where the fundraising approach involves a follow-up call (such as prospecting or “2-step” text fundraising), fundraisers MUST make clear to members of the public that they will be contacted a second time to solicit a regular donation following their initial engagement.
Sanction
The penalty is 50 points per incident.
RULE Fr8: Financial ask transparency
Fundraisers MUST NOT suggest to any member of the public that the engagement they are attempting to initiate is “not about money” or that they are “not fundraising”. By definition all engagements are ultimately ‘about money’.
Sanction
The penalty is 50 points per incident.
PFRA Rule Book (Street) 6
RULE Fr9: I.D. visibility
ID badges MUST include the identity of a fundraiser, who they work for and a phone number for the relevant charity or agency.
In order to facilitate this, ID ought to:
be clearly displayed
be in the form of a badge secured about the upper front part of the fundraiser’s torso
be of not less than credit-card size
be of sufficient font size to be readable for people with visual impairments
be signed or in some other way authorised (company seal or stamp) by the employing
agency and/or commissioning charity
Sanction
The penalty is 50 Points, per fundraiser, per day.
RULE Fr10: Distance visibility
Fundraisers MUST be identifiable by the public from a distance of 5 metres. Charity branded clothing:
MUST be visible and identifiable.
MUST NOT be tied around waists or covered by non-charity branded clothing or other
property, or in any other way be obscured.
MUST be clean and in good condition to ensure legibility and brand integrity.
Sanction
The penalty is 50 Points per fundraiser, per day.
RULE Fr11: Members of the public who are ‘on duty’
Fundraisers MUST NOT knowingly approach people conducting official duties on the high street, such as uniformed officials or tour guides.
Sanction
The penalty is 20 Points per incident.
RULE Fr12: Seated or queuing members of the public
Fundraisers MUST NOT approach:
members of the public who are seated on street furniture or in the outdoor seating area
of a private business
members of the public in queues e.g for tourist attractions, tour guide groups, bus
queues, cash point queues.
Sanction
The penalty is 50 Points per incident.
PFRA Rule Book (Street) 7
RULE Fr13: Proximity to street features
Fundraisers MUST NOT position themselves within 3 metres of a:
shop entrance
pedestrian crossing
cashpoint machine
station entrance
market stall
street trader, vendor, big issue seller or busker
Sanction
The penalty is 50 Points per incident.
RULE Fr14: Unattended bags
Bags MUST NOT be left unattended on the public highway. A team member MUST always
remain within 3 metres and line-of-sight of a ‘team bag’ (where one is used).
Sanction
The penalty is 100 Points per incident. *