Licence for fundraising on inland waterways

Hi, Alex

You would certainly be on a sticky wicket trying to do anything in Henley during Regatta - I suspect they have full-time squads looking for unauthorised operations! (There's probably a pun in there somewhere...)

My first thought when I read this was, do you have to use the Thames? I'm not too familiar with the waterways map, but can you get to the Grand Union?

You might get away with selling balloons or some similar token away from Henley, but "get away with it" is, I think, the correct term!

Two versions of a Plan B, which are not mutually exclusive : Your venture sounds fascinating - why not get all the local media to cover your progress, put it on a website and get donations that way? (I or any of several denizens of this forum would be able to discuss the "how" with you). People might, just, turn up to cheer you on your way, and if they happen to make donations as you pass, who are you to refuse? As long as you are not soliciting donations...

Then again, my limited experience of waterways is of a string of pubs connected by canals : plan your route by pubs, and have a small event in each pub. They're private property, and should be immune to the above prohibition.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Gerry

Thanks for your reply - I asked the patrol officer for the Thames and he replied as follows:
Unfortunately under the Thames Conservancy Act " No
person shall while using or while upon or about the river or the banks
or the towpaths thereof or any land of the authority beg or gather
alms"

Unfortunately Henley refuse to grant licences for collections during the regatta, so we are seriously hampered it seems. Do you happen to know what the deal is regarding selling balloons? Would we need some kind of licence for that, either ashore or on the boat?

Alex

I think you will find that, under present legislation, you will, strictly speaking, require a license from each council whose area you pass through.

However, you haven't said how you propose to do the collecting. I would be inclined to write to the Waterways and to each of the Authorities to say what you want to do and seek their guidance. They may very well say "Just get on with it" especially if, as seems likely from your brief description, you want people to come and see you and bring their money with them.

If you're proposing to leave the boat and collect in town centres or door to door, then we're in a different ball game.

Collecting in canal-side pubs is a matter for the landlord, but it would be good to let them know you're coming - some of them might even make a feature of it.

I hope you have the agreement of the charities in question, too!

Cheers

Gerry