Before you organise a street or store collection, you’ll need to obtain permission. This usually means writing to the council licensing department or store manager, but some supermarkets have national arrangements.
See Group Handbook B5 - Fundraising
- Street and public collections
- Tesco collections
- Sainsbury's collections
- Asking by letter
- Being legal and safe
- Need support?
Street and public collections
To collect on the street or in other public places, you must apply to your local council licensing department - check your local council's website and search for public collections. Often you can only collect one or two days a year, so try to book six months in advance to get the days you’d like.
Tesco collections
To apply for a collection at Tesco, your MS Society group must register and use the Tesco online collection portal at www.tasteattesco.com/charity.
You can register to directly make applications at their Extra, Superstore and Metro stores without the need for any national MS Society involvement. The site requires our registered charity number - 1139257.
Collections during December and bag packs throughout the year can be organised directly through each store’s Community Champion.
Sainsbury's collections
Sainsbury’s has introduced a policy to not allow charities to take away the proceeds of collections that it allows in their stores.
Instead the store will retain your sealed buckets and collecting tins. Two of their staff will empty and count them, and advise us how much was collected.
This amount will then be transferred to MS National Centre, via the Charities Aid Foundation.
To enable us to transfer the funds to your group’s bank account, please advise your Local Networks Officer as soon as you can after a collection:
- the date of the collection
- the store that the collection was held at
- how much was collected
- any reference that Sainsbury’s may give you
- Get contact details for your Local Networks Officer
When handing over buckets and boxes to the approved member of Sainsbury’s staff, please get a receipt.
Asking by letter
To get permission to collect, you’ll need to write a short letter to the manager of where you’d like to collect, or to your local council licensing department. It should include:
- Your MS Society group name
- The MS Society registered charity numbers - 1139257/ SC041990
- The days you would prefer to fundraise
- How the money will benefit local people living with MS
- Download and use an MS Society letterhead template
Being legal and safe
When collecting, counting and banking money, make sure you keep things legal and safe. Your MS Society group can order tins, buckets, ID cards and more for free from our online shop.
- See our guidance on legal and safe fundraising
- Find out more about MS Society fundraising materials
- Go to our Online Shop
Need support?
If you have questions about planning collections, contact the member of staff who supports you.
- Go to fundraising support
Back to ways to fundraise
