To make your street collection successful you have to consider:

• What equipment is needed? A collecting box, stickers if they are used, your permit (see below), some information on the charities and a t-shirt/collectors vest for identification. We can provide you with buckets, stickers & collector’s vests.

• Where do you want to collect? As the estate agent says it’s location, location, location – the same applies to street collections. There are good street locations and there are good shopping centres. As a number of charities can be collecting on any one street at any one time, it means that getting to the good spot on the street means being on the street early. Collecting outside train stations can also work well. Getting a good shopping centre location is different. Each shopping centre will have their own management company or in the case of those centres dominated by one shop, then that shop will determine the policy. Normally shopping centres/large stores will only allow one charity to collect on any one day. So again the practise of first come first served applies. Collect where you are known – acquaintances are less likely to walk past you! Positioning yourself by the trolleys can also be profitable.

• When do you want to collect? Firstly, try to avoid clashing with large charity collections like Daffodil Day. To collect in a shopping centre or at the entrance/exit of the large shops, you will need to apply for permission from the manager of the shopping centre. Ask which dates are free and choose one of those. Weekends are the best times.

• Do I need a permit to collect? Yes for street collections but no for shopping centre collections. To obtain a permit, you will need to apply to the Gardai. The application form is brief but requires details of where/when you are collecting and who you will be collecting for. The application form can be obtained form any Garda Station but will need to be returned to your local Garda Station.

• My friends are helping me, do they need a permit too? Everyone who is taking part in the collection will need a copy of the permit indicating the details of who authorised the permit, their names and contact details.

• How many people do I need to do a collection? Simply, the more the better. There is no rule about how many people you need. Some people have raised significant amounts of money by doing it with just a friend or two. It is always better to have company, so try to have at least one friend with you. The more collectors you have the more chance you have of raising significant amounts of money.

• Is there a knack to collecting? Yes, you need to be assertive and good humoured without being intrusive or a nuisance. Passive collecting or being a statue with a collection box just doesn’t work.

• Do I need any gimmicks? No, but it can help. Having a stand may not only be a nuisance but can be a contravention of the bylaws. So bring only what you can carry – but think of how you can make yourself stand out. Wear a funny hat or a Christmas hairband with light. Anything that makes you stand out.

• How old do I need to be? You should be 16 years old before collecting.

• Will people want to know about NCBI? Some people are just happy to give to a good cause; others may want to know something about the charity first. So look at the web site, read the leaflets, and take some spare copies with you in case someone wants to know more, or may want to help us in other fundraising activities. Always let them know about this fundraising pack and how they can download it from our website www.ncbi.ie

• What do I do when I have finished collecting? Discreetly pop your collecting box/bucket into a bag to conceal it and return to a secure location. It is recommended that you open the box in the company of another person. Count and bag your money and pay it into the NCBI account. Lodgements can be made at any bank. If lodging large amounts of money, it helps if you can obtain a supply of plastic coin bags from any bank ahead of time. All banks accept lodgements of coinage but they do have to be in specified amounts as given on the front of all bags.

• What do I do now? Let NCBI know how much you deposited and return the collecting boxes / unused stickers / vests to the office. Please ensure that you use the lodgement slips provided so that we know who made the lodgement.

• Thank you, as we do appreciate all the hard work you have put into collecting the money.