Islington could be first area to ban "chuggers"

The widely hated practice of "charity mugging" as practiced by on-street, clipboard-wielding reps could soon be a thing of the past in Islington, as the Council is considering a ban on this type of fundraising. The news comes as a welcome prospect to many residents, who have made numerous complaints to the council over the years.

Councillor Paul Convery, Islington's Head of Planning, is also on record as being strongly opposed to "chuggers", commenting in a recent Islington Gazette article that There are too many, they hassle people and they are in your face."

"It seems to be legal robbery in some ways and it gives charities a bad name. The time has come to tackle this nuisance", he said.

Convery and his department have now identified a number of target zones where most of the fundraising activity is taking place, namely the Angel, Highbury Corner, Archway, Farringdon, Holloway Road and Old Street.

It would be within their power to implement a by-law banning the practice from any of these areas. While it seems that the practice would still be legal in other parts of the borough, these are undoubtedly the most productive sites for those seeking footfall for direct debit sign-ups. It would be much harder for the charities' reps to do business elsewhere.

The prospect of an effective ban on all on-street fundraising in Islington has led to concern from many charities who claim that despite the bad press dished out to chuggers and the widely-publicised hefty cuts taken by the agencies who employ the staff, it is still a crucial element of their business. Tracy Griffin, fundraising director of Shelter in Old Street has said that it is activity they can ill-afford to lose. Speaking to the Islington Gazette, he added:

"It is highly regulated, both in terms of numbers allowed on the streets and also in behaviour. All of our fundraisers abide by a strict industry code of practice."

Local Lib Dem MPs have also expressed concern that such a robust approach could hurt charities. What do you think about the idea?