BILLERICAY: Charity bags are not the genuine thing

HOME-GROWN charities are being deprived of valuable donations by companies targeting households in the Billericay area, it has been claimed.

Collection bags have been dropped through doors in Crays Hill appealing for unwanted clothes and bric-a-brac.

Although the bags carry the logos of worthy charities, only a proportion of the sales of the donations goes to good causes.

Sue Lucas, 67, and husband John, 69, received several bags, with claims like 'Do Not Delay' printed on them, but they have not donated because they feel other charities could make better use of their unwanted goods.

Mrs Lucas, who volunteers at the St Luke's Hospice Shop, in Wickford High Street, said: "When we work so hard at the shop trying to raise funds for a wonderful local cause, it's upsetting to see things like this.

"I've worked there for 12 years and we always need more donations from people.

"But these leaflets will detract from that."

Mr Lucas said: "When I picked them up they looked fine, with an image of a ribbon and information about breast cancer prevention programmes.

"But when I read it more closely, it claimed to be helping women in Lithuania."

One of the bags came from Intersecond Ltd, which acts as agent for Azzara, a charity based in Lithuania.

It asks for clothes, sheets and shoes to be left in the bags to be collected later the same day.

Its literature asks you to donate "for yourself and those who love you".

It says the project "provides information and screenings for women in Lithuania to help prevent Breast Cancer".

But the details of the leaflet show that Intersecond only donates £5,000 to the project each month.

The rest of the money raised by selling the collected clothes goes straight to the company.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: "Trading Standards warn all local residents to be aware of any leaflets they receive through their letterboxes which imply that they are collecting clothing for charity.

"In a number of cases these companies are selling the goods purely for profit.

"We would advise residents to read the information on the leaflets very carefully."

Yevgeniya Haughey, of Intersecond Ltd, said: "We donate a set amount rather than a percentage because the charity prefer to operate that way, with a regular amount each month."

She also admitted the company had fallen foul of Trading Standards in the past, but said: "Now all the information about how we work is written on the envelope, with all our contact details."

Meanwhile, thieves have targeted charity shops in Billericay High Street.

Burglars broke into Oxfam and stole a computer worth £500,

And Mandy Smith, deputy manager at the Cancer Research UK store, said its donation bins at the back of the store were raided regularly.