Useful contacts
Please find below useful contacts for those working in, or who have an interest in, the charity retail sector. Please note that the accuracy of information in this Directory is to the best of the Association's knowledge. Members are advised to contact individual organisations for full details of their services. Information about suppliers to charity shops can be found on in our Directory of Suppliers.
Please note that inclusion in this listing does not mean that the Association of Charity Shops endorses the services provided by the companies concerned.
- Business support
- Business employment law / access issues
- Chip and PIN
- Ethical information
- Government departments
- Health and safety
- Recycling and reuse
- Trading standards / consumer law
- Voluntary sector support and information
- Volunteering
1. Business support
Crime Reduction Toolkit
The Home Office's Crime Reduction Unit provides a toolkit
for the reduction of business and retail crime, including facts,
risk and offender profiles and preventative strategies.
Website: www.crimereduction.gov.uk/
Email: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7035 4848
Professionals for Free
This organisation aims to put voluntary sector organisations
in touch with professionals who provide
their services for free (or at a subsidised rate).
Website: www.professionals4free.org.uk
Email: nicki.della-porta@bitc.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7566 6611
2. Business employment law and access issues
ACAS
Provides information on employment law
for use by employers and employees.
Website: www.acas.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 747 4747
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Includes Disability Rights Commission, Equal Opportunities
Commission and Commission for Racial Equality.
Website: www.equalityhumanrights.com
Telephone: 0845 762 2633
Textphone: 0845 762 2644
Department for Businesses, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
BERR provides information on all aspects of employment law, such as
minimum wage regulations, hours of work, employee consultation
and redundancy arrangements.
Website: www.berr.gov.uk/employment/index.html
Email: berr.enquiries@berr.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7215 5000
3. Chip and PIN
Chip and PIN
A website for information on all aspects of chip and PIN technology.
Website: www.chipandpin.co.uk
4. Ethical information
Ethiscore
Ethical Consumer is an independent lifestyle magazine that informs consumers about everything from
the social and environmental impacts of a product to the ethical
records of the companies that produce them.
Website: www.ethiscore.org
Email: ecis@ethicalconsumer.org
Telephone: 0161 227 9099
5. Government departments
BERR's Confident Consumers
Aims to deliver a competitive framework for the growth of successful
businesses and a fair deal for consumers.
Website: www.berr.gov.uk/consumers/index.html
Telephone: 0845 404 0506
Customs and Excise
Provides key information and services you need to comply with the law
and ease your tax dealings with Government.
Website: www.hmrc.gov.uk
Email: Enquiries form on website
Telephone: 0845 010 9000 (National Advice Service) or 0845 302 0203 (Charities Helpline)
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DEFRA provide information on all aspects of waste and recycling
and give information for voluntary sector groups on how to obtain recycling/reuse
credits.
Website: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste
Email: helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0845 933 5577
Office of the Third Sector
Aims to ensure that the support, assistance and means
exist to enable a society where the voluntary and community activity
flourishes.
Website: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/
Email: OTS.info@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7276 6400
6. Health and safety
Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety
Executive
Responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in
Britain.
Website: www.hse.gov.uk
Email: hse.infoline@natbrit.com
Telephone: 0845 345 0055
7. Recycling and reuse
Community Recycling Network (CRN)
National umbrella organisation for
community-based, not-for-profit and co-operative waste
management groups which work in reduction, reuse and
recycling.
Website: www.crn.org.uk
Email: info@crn.org.uk
Telephone: 0117 942 0142
DirectGov: Environment and Greener Living
Government site which provides easy access to information on public services, including environmental issues.
Website: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Wasteandrecycling
Don't Dump That
Hub for local reuse forums, allowing people with unwanted
goods to pass them onto others who could use them.
Website: www.dontdumpthat.com
Email: administration@dontdumpthat.com
Environment Agency
Responsible for the protection of the environment in England and Wales,
influencing Government policy, regulating major industry and monitoring waste management.
Website: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone: 0870 850 6506
Envirowise
Provides a government-funded programme of free,
confidential advice to UK businesses.
Website: www.envirowise.gov.uk
Telephone: 0800 585794
Freecycle
A global collection of online groups, matching people who
have things they want to get rid of with people who can use
them.
Website: www.uk.freecycle.org
Furniture Reuse Network
FRN promotes the reuse of unwanted furniture and
household effects for the alleviation of need, hardship, distress and poverty.
Website: www.frn.org.uk
Email: info@frn.org.uk
Telephone: 0117 954 3571
Green Choices
A "one-stop guide to greener living" containing information
on environmentally-friendly choices in clothing, recycling, DIY, schools, money, etc.
Website: www.greenchoices.org
Email: Enquiries form on website
Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee
LARAC is a leading national local authority organisation promoting waste reduction
and recycling within local government.
Website: www.larac.org.uk
Email: larac@btinternet.com
Telephone: 01544 267860
Netregs
Provides free environmental guidance for small businesses in the UK.
Website: www.netregs.gov.uk
Telephone: 0870 850 6506
Recycle-More
Offers information and advice on recycling to householders, schools and businesses.
Website: www.recycle-more.co.uk
Email: recycle-more@valpack.co.uk
Telephone: 0845 068 2572
Reuze
Provides help to those with waste to recycle and organisations which reuse that waste.
It also puts people in contact with those who have unwanted items to reuse.
Website: www.reuze.co.uk
Email: info@reuze.co.uk
Textile Recycling Association
TRA is a trade association representing textile/shoe collectors. They provide
advice on claiming recycling credits and details of licensed waste collectors.
Website: www.textile-recycling.org.uk
Email: info@textile-recycling.org.uk
Telephone: 0870 042 8276
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
Aims to promote sustainable waste management by creating stable and efficient
markets for recycled materials and products.
Website: www.wrap.org.uk
Telephone: 0808 100 2040
Waste Watch
Working with community organisations, local and national government encouraging
the environmental benefits of waste minimisation and recycling.
They provide advice on where and what people can recycle.
Website: www.wastewatch.org.uk
Email: info@wastewatch.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7549 0300
8. Trading standards
Trading Standards
A 'one stop' shop for consumer protection information in the UK.
Website: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
Ask Cedric
Information on trading regulations relating to charity shops produced by Trading Standards. Gives information on
describing and pricing goods, safety of goods, Sunday trading, consumer complaints, etc.
Website: www.askcedric.org.uk
Email: cedric@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0845 3030 666
9. Voluntary sector support and information
Charities Aid Foundation
CAF is an international non-governmental organisation providing specialist financial services to
charities and their supporters.
Website: www.cafonline.org
Telephone: 01732 520000
Department for Social Development
This department of the Northern Ireland Executive covers many areas,
including community and voluntary sector development.
Website: www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/voluntary_and_community.htm
Email: vcu@dsdni.gov.uk
Telephone: 028 9082 9424
Directory for Social Change
DSC publishes a wide range of literature and provides
training courses on the management and finance of voluntary
organisations.
Website: www.dsc.org.uk
Email: enquiries@dsc.org.uk
Telephone: 08450 777707
Institute of Fundraising
The professional body representing and supporting fundraisers,
policy development, training and codes of practice.
Website: www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
Email: Enquiries form on website
Telephone: 020 7840 1000
National Council for Voluntary Organisations
NCVO provide a range of briefings on issues affecting voluntary organisations as well
as a range of products and services.
Website: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
Email: ncvo@ncvo-vol.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7713 6161
Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
OSCR is the independent registrar and regulator for 21,000 Scottish charities.
Website: www.oscr.org.uk
Email: info@oscr.org.uk
Telephone: 01382 220446
The Charities Resource Network
A service provided by the Charity Finance Directors'
Group to provide information and good practice for
accounting, investment, auditing, human resources,
information technology, planning and management.
Website: www.cfdg.org.uk/crn
Email: info@cfdg.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 345 3192
The Charity Commission
A government department to give the public
confidence in the integrity of charities in England and Wales, responsible
to the Courts for their decisions and to the Home Secretary for the way
they use their resources. Website includes a searchable database of all
registered charities in England and Wales.
Website: www.charitycommission.gov.uk
Telephone: 0845 300 0218
Volresource
Provides information on anything to do with running a voluntary organisation.
Website: www.volresource.org.uk
Email: webinfo@volresource.org.uk
Telephone: 020 9235 7720
10. Volunteering
Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
A national organisation that promotes volunteering. Also operates Make a
Difference Day encouraging people to get involved in volunteering.
Website: www.csv.org.uk
Email: information@csv.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7278 6601
Do-it.org.uk
A national database of volunteering opportunities and information about becoming a volunteer.
Website: www.do-it.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7250 5700
Institute of Volunteering Research
Aims to develop knowledge and understanding of volunteering
in a way that is relevant to practitioners and policy
makers.
Website: www.ivr.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 305 6979
TimeBank
A UK based national charity that encourages
people to volunteer their time and skills for worthy causes
in areas such as education, young people, health and the
environment.
Website: www.timebank.org.uk
Email: f.percy@timebank.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 456 1668
Volunteer Development Scotland
Information and services provided for those working with
volunteers in Scotland.
Website: www.vds.org.uk
Email: vds@vds.org.uk
Telephone: 01786 479593
Volunteering England
Information and services provided to those working with
volunteers in England.
Website: www.volunteering.org.uk
Email: volunteering@volunteeringengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0845 305 6979
Volunteer Development Agency, Northern Ireland
Provides support, training and information on volunteering and volunteer management in Northern Ireland.
Website: www.volunteering-ni.org
Email: info@volunteering-ni.org
Telephone: 028 9023 6100
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Resources for volunteer managers in Wales.
Website: www.wcva.org.uk
Email: help@wcva.org.uk
Telephone: 0800 288 8329