Give A Hand LTD NOT a "Charity" Clothing Collection

[FatherJack]

Just had a leaflet through the door from Give a Hand LTD (Company registration number 7607124)

offering to collect unwanted clothing etc. There is no mention on leaflet of this being a charity

and there is no website, just a gmail email address. My donations will help people in need in the

UK, Europe and Africa.

My gut feeling is that this is a scam, does anyone know how I might check out the reg number? Have

tried Google but no luck, or has anyone heard of this company?

Edited the subject line as I now think it's fair to say that this company is not helping people in

the UK, Europe and Africa.

[Vik]

I think the rule of thumb is that if they have a company number rather than a charity number - don't give.

The 'company' name appears to be registered to a flat in Crystal Palace.

[FatherJack]

Aha, Vik!! Please tell how did you find that out ??

[Vik]

http://www.intared-directory.com/company1647534/GIVE_A_HAND_LTD (Found by Googling Give a Hand LTD) :)

[ianr]

Incorporated April 2011. http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/74758109151eb0c857503e338ffebade/compdetails

[Alec John Moore]

Hmm, doesn't look like they will have much of a track record to back up a reputaion for helping people in need. It's easy to be cynical about this but most charities will also be registered as companies limited by guarantee and they often use "for-profit" companies to run commercial services. If an organisation is operating as a charity then it will be regulated by the Charity Commission and will be required to make public information about its finances and its actitivies.

[dukesdenver]

Not registered with the Charity Commission:

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/AdvancedSearch.aspx

[Alec John Moore]

Just picked up on this news that police are "making progress on bogus clothing collectors".

http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/citypolice/#

Interestingly this links to a couple of threads on EDF:

"In recent months it has emerged how charity shops are being badly hit as bags of clothes donated to them are being removed from the pavement before the legitimate collectors arrive.

In other cases fraudsters provide collection bags that appear to be from legitimate charities but take the donations to sell abroad. "

Alec

[brit2pop]

I have always thought that the charities should put a little note through your door to say thanks received ok (one does but cant remember which one) as sometimes the bags disappear so quickly I never know if they got to the right collectors or not.

[Nicholas Spears]

where are these leaflets being given out and when's the collection FatherJack? I know someome at Clothes Aid, who are working to stop this sort of abuse, and would like to tell them about it.

[Betterat50m]

Let the police know, these scammers are denying people clothes.

[Cam123]

I think it worth mentioning though that charities do often outsource their fundraising, including clothing collection, to standard profit-making companies. I've recently had the rspca, shelter, and a couple of others fundraising door to door, and not one was doing it themselves. So regularly there is a middleman paying their staff, and making their profit margin, before the charity gets their 30% slice if they're lucky.