The 2014 Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee "has refused licences to all charities hoping to cash in on the flood of people descending on Glasgow for the 11-day event in July -- allowing only its two 'official sponsors' to collect," according to Jane Bradley of the SCOTSMAN.
Unicef and the Youth Sport Trust "were named as the official partners of the Games earlier this year and are due to benefit from a range of events held in tandem with the Games, including fundraising opportunities."
But 17 other charities, which had been encouraged by Games organizers earlier this year to apply for collection licences, "have now been told they will be barred from streets near the sporting action." The organizing committee said the rules were in place to "prevent ambush marketing, to keep congestion in key spectator areas to a minimum and to preserve a celebratory atmosphere around the games," and it urged charities to apply in time "to ensure they do not miss out on the opportunity." The organizing committee stressed that it "did not have to be one of the charity partners to apply."
But officials said that a decision "had now been made to ban other charities for the benefit of the two partner organisations" (SCOTSMAN, 6/2).
