Your right to be left alone by the cold call charities

MEMBERS of the public will be given the ‘right to be left alone’ by charities under proposed changes to fundraising rules.

Those who do not want to be contacted by charities would be able to join a register called the ‘Fundraising Preference Service’ – which would be set up by the proposed new regulator.

Charities would be banned from contacting those on the list – even if they are existing supporters, or if the charity believes they have ‘opted in.’

The move is to ensure that people who feel deluged by fundraising approaches – as in the tragic case of poppy seller Olive Cooke – would have access to a ‘reset button’ allowing them to put a stop to further demands for cash.

Anyone worried about a vulnerable family member will be able to sign them up to the service to protect them from fundraising calls.

The move was proposed after the reviewers – led by Sir Stuart etherington – heard from members of the public who were ‘frustrated about the lack of control’ over how many times they were contacted with fundraising requests.

Members of the public were also furious about the ‘lack of transparency over how their data was acquired in the first place’, the report found.

The review concluded that it was ‘not right that it is so much easier to get on to a fundraising contact list than it is to get off.’ It states: ‘At the moment, there is no way to ‘opt out’ of being approached by fundrais- ers, other than by contacting the organisation concerned directly and relying on their good will.

‘A mechanism should exist whereby a person can quickly and easily exempt themselves from being contacted.’

The new Fundraising Preference Service will allow individuals to add their name to a ‘suppression list’, so fundraisers have clear indication they do not wish to be contacted, the report says.

‘This would provide a person with a full opt-out, completely preventing the receipt of unsolicited contact by charities and other fundraising organisations.’

The Mail revealed how Miss Cooke’s details had been traded between charities because she was known to be generous. She spoke of being ‘overwhelmed’ by demands for cash before her death

The Mail has won high praise for its investigation into charity fundraising.

David Cameron said: ‘ The conduct of some fundraisers is frankly unacceptable and damages the reputation of the sector as a whole. I’d like to express my thanks to the Daily Mail for bringing this to light.’

Bernard Jenkin, who chairs the Commons public administration committee, said: ‘ The Daily Mail should be congratulated for uncovering a terrible chain of events which reflects very badly on charities who we should be able to hold in high regard. It has uncovered what amounts to a scandal in the way that charities have been raising money.

‘The activities have been so shaming that the charities have immediately suspended operations, severed contracts, because of what has been uncovered.’

Praise also came from Dame esther Rantzen, who is a trustee at the NSPCC and founder and president of ChildLine.

‘A lack of transparency’