Birmingham City Council has reached an agreement that will see a reduction in the number of charity fundraisers in the city centre.

The council has received complaints from shoppers and business owners who do not appreciate the presence of the fundraisers, also known as ‘charity muggers’ or ‘chuggers’.

The council and the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) have agreed to launch a street fundraising agreement for the city, which came into effect yesterday, which will see a reduction in the number of charity fundraisers.

The agreement was initially piloted through a three-month trial, but has now been extended on a rolling one year basis, as agreed by the Licensing and Public Protection Committee on 12 April 2017.

‘Following the success of our trial agreement with the Institute of Fundraising, introduced last July, there’s been a significant reduction in the number of complaints we receive about face-to-face fundraising and its impact on the public and local businesses,’ said Chris Neville, head of licensing at Birmingham City Council.

'This new 12-month agreement will see fewer fundraisers in the city centre, which we welcome, and we will continue to work in partnership with IoF going forward.’

The Institute of Fundraising’s compliance director Peter Hills-Jones, said: ‘Charity fundraisers will warmly welcome today’s important announcement that a well-balanced approach to sustainable fundraising in the city centre has been reached.

‘The success of the pilot highlights that these agreements work for both the public and Britain’s charities. Charity fundraising is more important than ever as charities rely on the generosity and support of the public.’