At Alzheimer’s Research UK, we use door-to-door and private site fundraising (where fundraisers work in locations like shopping centres and train stations). You may speak to our fundraisers at your door or while you are out and about.
Alzheimer’s Research UK continues to work carefully with our fundraising agencies to do everything we can to reduce the risk of fundraisers spreading or contracting COVID-19. As guidance changes, we will ensure that we update the measures we have put in place to keep everyone safe.
What our fundraisers are doing:
- Completing mandatory training on COVID-19 guidance.
- Completing a self-declaration each day prior to shift to declare they are not displaying symptoms of COVID-19 and are fit for work.
- We strongly encourage the wearing of face masks, particularly in settings where social distancing is not possible.
- Maintaining a social distance of 2 metres where possible but always a minimum of 1 metre.
- Carrying their own hand sanitiser so they can sanitise their hands regularly.
- Not fundraising in areas with a large elderly population.
You can read more about what we are doing to stay safe during COVID-19 here.
Face-to-face fundraising brings in vital funds that support life-changing research into diagnosing, treating and preventing dementia. Thousands of people have decided to support us this way and it proves to be extremely cost-effective, raising over over £3million for Alzheimer’s Research UK in the 2021-2022 financial year.
Talking to the public also allows us to raise awareness about dementia and the research we fund. It gives people the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about Alzheimer’s Research UK and what we do as a charity.
If you are visited by one of our fundraisers or see them when you are out and about, there are a few ways you can check they are legitimate and work for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Our door-to-door fundraisers:
- Every fundraiser will display an ID card with their name, photograph, employee number and details of the agency they work for.
- All fundraisers will wear branded orange or purple Alzheimer’s Research UK tabards (bibs) or jackets and smart clothing.
- They will carry Alzheimer’s Research UK materials, such as information sheets and welcome packs.
Our private-site fundraisers (working most commonly in shopping centres or train stations):
- Every fundraiser will display an ID card with their name, photograph, employee number and details of the agency they work for.
- All fundraisers will wear purple or orange Alzheimer’s Research UK-branded clothing.
- The fundraisers will be stood by an Alzheimer’s Research UK stand with various branded materials such as pull-up banners.
- They will often carry Alzheimer’s Research UK materials, such as information sheets and welcome packs.
If you have any concerns about fundraisers in your area, please call our Supporter Care team on 0300 111 5555 or email enquiries@alzheimersresearchuk.org
Our door-to-door fundraisers work all over England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, we are not currently doing any door-to-door activity.
If you have any questions, please contact our Supporter Care team on 0300 111 5555 or email enquiries@alzheimersresearchuk.org and they will be able to help.
Please be assured that setting up a monthly donation with our fundraisers is very safe. The fundraisers will ask you for your details and they will be encrypted so they are safe as soon as you have signed up. If you have signed up to a monthly donation via Direct Debit, only registered Direct Debit Service users can use the information collected and anyone who signs up to a Direct Debit is protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee. Anyone who signs up to a card payment is protected by the chargeback scheme or section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
The agencies we work with give people the option to sign up to regular gifts via contactless methods. They can either use QR code technology or SMS technology. This will take the donors to a website on their mobile phone where they can enter their payment details (account number and sort code) and confirm the signup. The details will then be encrypted and sent across to the payment processor, e.g. Stripe.
We are members of the Fundraising Regulator which is the governing body for the charity sector. They monitor trends and complaints about specific methods of fundraising, including door-to-door and private site, and we must adhere to their Code of Fundraising Practice at all times.
We are also a member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF), a self-regulating membership body established to coordinate fundraising activity and promote quality, integrity and transparency.
The CIoF works with charities, professional fundraising organisations, local authorities and the police to ensure high standards in the charity industry.
Both Alzheimer’s Research UK and the fundraising agencies we work with adhere to COVID-19 guidance published by the Fundraising Regulator and CIoF, which is in line with COVID-19 government guidance.
We regularly mystery shop fundraisers on site and listen to the conversations they are having with members of the public to ensure they are representing the charity in the best possible light and that they are fully compliant with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising also carries out mystery shops and reports any issues back to Alzheimer’s Research UK where we follow up with the agencies and ensure the relevant procedures are put in place.
We will only work with agencies who are members of the CIoF and are, therefore, committed to adhering to the code.
Yes, all our fundraisers are fully trained by the agencies they work for in compliance, vulnerability policies and the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Members of the Direct Marketing team at Alzheimer’s Research UK also run regular training sessions to refresh the fundraisers’ knowledge of dementia, the research we fund and compliance.
Currently, all training carried out by Alzheimer’s Research UK is done remotely via video calls to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Training carried out by our fundraising agencies is either done via video calls or in compliance with social distancing measures.
The Fundraising Regulator permits door-to-door fundraisers to work between 9am (10am on Sundays) and 9pm seven days a week. However, we choose to operate between 9am and 8.30pm Monday – Friday and between 9am and 5.30pm on Saturdays. We call between these times so we have the best chance of reaching more people, for example those who work during the day.
Please note, fundraisers are permitted to approach homes between 8.30pm and 9pm if they have a prior appointment agreed with the occupant.
Our agencies also advise that fundraisers take extra care when visiting households during the longer winter evenings, especially when in isolated areas, to avoid causing unnecessary anxiety to the residents. Each fundraiser will wear an ID badge with a freephone number on should you wish to check the legitimacy of the fundraiser.
All our fundraisers will ensure that they stand 2 metres back from the door where possible (Fundraisers are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings where 2 metre social distancing may not be possible for any reason).
We endeavour to respond to all complaints as soon as possible and each complaint is taken very seriously and individually dealt with. We will ensure procedures are put in place and further training is given to the fundraisers where necessary. As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, Alzheimer’s Research UK is committed to following their Code of Fundraising Practice to ensure we meet regulations.
