Street collection permit

To collect money or sell articles for the benefit of charitable or other purposes in Sunderland, you require a street collection permit from the council.

A street collection is regulated under the Police, Factories etc (Misc. Provisions) Act, 1916. A permit is required to carry out a collection on behalf of charity, or for charitable purposes, in a public place. This includes any highway, public bridge, road, lane, footway, square, court, alley, or passage, whether a thoroughfare or not.

Once a permit is granted, there is a requirement for the permit holder to make a return to the council within one month of the expiry of the permit.

The return must include information regarding the amount collected and distributed to the charity.

In respect of street collections, the area covered by the council has been split into five areas:

• Sunderland
• Hetton-le-Hole
• Houghton-le-Spring
• Washington
• The area surrounding the Stadium of Light - collection permits are available for this area on match days (except for games involving Newcastle United FC or Middlesbrough FC)

Please note: the council will refuse applications for street collections in the city centre and in the vicinity of the Stadium of Light on days on which high-profile, non-football events (such as concerts are taking place).

This policy has been adopted in the interests of fairness, for the avoidance of confusion and so that concert-goers are not asked to contribute to more than one charity. The application will be refused unless the applicant can demonstrate why, in the interests of the public, the application should be granted.

Eligibility criteria

Applications must be made on the in the form prescribed by the council and submitted not later than one month before the date on which it is proposed to make the collection.

Applicants must be acting for a charity or for a non-profit organisation in order to obtain a street collection permit.

Applications for a street collection permit on match days at the Stadium of Light usually exceed the number of matches available in a season. So, applications for each forthcoming football season must be received on or before the second Friday in June in order to enter a draw to be conducted by the Chair at a meeting of the Regulatory Committee. Successful applicants will be allocated a match date at that meeting.

Application evaluation process

The council will consult with the relevant authorities to determine whether the application is suitable.

When we receive your application we will consider whether or not to issue the permit on the basis of the information you have supplied.

We will also check our records to look at any previous street collections for which you have been given a permit.

Stadium of Light - match days

As stated above, applications for a street collection permit at the Stadium of Light for match days will be allocated by way of a draw conducted by the Chair of the Regulatory Committee.

• The initial entries into the draw will consist solely of new applications (that is, applications from organisations which did not receive a permit in the previous season)
• Organisations (including those submitted under individual team names) will only be allowed a single entry into the draw
• An initial number of entries (equivalent to the number of available, scheduled league fixtures to be played by Sunderland AFC) will be drawn and allocated to each fixture in chronological order. A further ten entries should be drawn for a reserve list to which will be allocated, in order of being drawn, any other fixture that may become available (for example, a cup match or a re-scheduled league game which was previously abandoned)
• In the event that we receive fewer new applications than the number of available fixtures plus ten, any applications received from organisations which received a permit in the previous season would enter the draw after the initial allocation
• Any organisations successful in the draw which later attract an objection from the Police will be referred to the Regulatory Committee
• Fixtures against either Middlesbrough or Newcastle United Football Clubs will not be available for allocation

Application fee

There are no fees for this permit.

Apply for a street collection licence

Tell us about the result of a street collection

Will "tacit consent" apply?

Tacit consent does not apply to applications for street collection permits. The council must ensure that, should they be minded to grant an application:

• The applicant is a fit and proper person
• The amount of money to be applied for charitable purposes is adequate in relation to the likely proceeds received

Our target completion period for applications for street collection permits is 60 working days from the time when all documentation and fees have been submitted.

If you have not heard from us within this period, please contact our City and Neighbourhood team.

Failed application redress

Please contact our City and Neighbourhood team in the first instance.

There is no statutory right of appeal against the refusal of a street collection permit.

This service is provided in partnership with the European EUGO network.