Charity collections

Street collections

You will need a Street Collection Permit if you wish to make a charitable tin collection in the street, in a public or private place.

There is no fee.

View the street collection regulations.

• The completed form must be returned at least one month prior to the date of collection
• We may, in granting the licence, limit the collection to certain parts of the street or place
• After the collection has taken place a financial return form must be returned to us within one month
• Licences are valid for one day

After you have returned the application form, if you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion period, the licence is deemed granted.

If you intend to collect in the Woolgate Shopping Centre in Witney you will also need permission from the Centre manager, Rob Steere. Contact him by emailing robert@woolgateshopping.co.uk or calling 01993 778370. You will not be authorised to collect there unless you have permission.

This table shows which dates have already been booked for street collections.

Charity	Date from	Date to	Location
Faringdon & District Rotary	10 January 2026 (9.00 - 12.00)	10 January 2026	Clanfield
Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK	9 February 2026	9 February 2026	Witney and surrounding villages
Marie Curie	28 February 2026 (9.00 - 17.00)	28 February 2026	Witney Town Centre
Muscular Dystrophy UK	11 April 2026 (09.00 - 17.00)	4 April 2026	Outside Sainsbury's Witney
Muscular Dystrophy UK	16 May 2026 (09.00 - 17.00)	16 May 2026	Carterton Town Centre
Muscular Dystrophy UK	16 May 2026 (09.00 - 17.00)	16 May 2026	Outside Sainsbury's Witney
Muscular Dystrophy UK	23 May 2026 (09.00 - 17.00)	23 May 2026	Burford Town
Muscular Dystrophy UK	30 May 2026 (09.00 - 17.00)	30 May 2026	Woodstock Town
Muscular Dystrophy UK	8 August 2026 (09.00 - 17.00)	8 August 2026	Witney Town Centre
Muscular Dystrophy UK	12 September 2026 (09.00 - 16.00)	12 September 2026	Outside Sainsbury's Witney
Against Breast Cancer	26 September 2026 (10.00 - 17.00)	26 September 2026	Witney Town Centre, shopping centres and Church Green

House to house collections

You will need a licence to do a house-to-house collection of money or any other goods such as clothes on the doorstep of private homes and businesses.

There is no fee

View a summary of the eligibility criteria for this licence

• The completed form must be returned at least one month prior to the start date of the collection.
• We may, in granting the licence, limit the collection to certain parts of the street/place/area.
• Many of the large well-known charities hold a Home Office Exemption Certificate which means that no licence is required; however notice must be given to us as the licensing authority.
• A licence will not be granted for a period of longer than 12 months.
• We, as the licensing authority, may refuse a licence, or where granted, may revoke it in circumstances specified in The Act.
• After the collection has taken place a financial return form must be returned to us within one month.

After you have returned the application form, if you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion period, the licence is deemed granted.

This table shows which dates have already been booked for house to house collections.

Charity	Date from	Date to		Additional info
Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital	29 December 2025	1 February 2026	All of West Oxfordshire
British Red Cross	29 December 2025	1 February 2026	All of West Oxfordshire	10.30 - 21.00
Great Ormond Street Hospital	5 January 2026	18 December 2026	All of West Oxfordshire	08.00-15.00
World Cancer Care	5 January 2026	5 April 2026	All of West Oxfordshire
Cancer Research & Genetics UK	1 May 2026	22 December 2026	All of West Oxfordshire	08.00 - 17.00

 

Raffles (Small Society Lotteries)

All small society lotteries require registration under the Gambling Act 2005. This registration is needed when your organisation intends to sell printed raffle tickets in advance of the date on which the draw will take place. The Small Society Lottery registration is mainly for charitable purposes.

• Call 01993 861000 to provisionally book a date and request an application form
• Return your completed application form with the £40 fee
• The registration lasts for a calendar year. After the initial registration if you pay an annual fee of £20 by the end of October the registration is renewed for another year.

View the Gambling Commission website to check that your organisation meets the regulations before you fill in the application form.

Once you have returned the application form, if you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion period, the licence has been granted.