How to handle cash safely

Your safety when handling cash

To ensure your safety, we ask you not to transport or store cash over £5,000 in value. If you think you may collect this amount of cash at an event, please speak to your fundraising manager in advance so they can help arrange a secure collection service. 

Your safety is our main concern when you are volunteering for BHF. If you are ever challenged whilst handling cash, please hand over the cash without resisting. Report any theft or loss to the police within 24 hours of the incident. Please also let your fundraising manager know.  

Cash handling guidelines

When handling cash, we ask that you follow these guidelines: 

• Large amounts of cash should be collected, counted, transported, banked and recorded by two unrelated individuals. 
• Cash must never be left unattended at a fundraising event. We advise that at least two people should always stay with any cash. 
• Store cash in a secure (ideally locked) place until it’s been banked. 
• Cash should be bagged and banked in suitable bags. Please transport it in bags that help disguise the cash, like a shopping or carrier bag. 
• If you are expecting to raise a large amount of cash during an event, please try to bank in intervals to reduce large amounts of cash building up. 
• Cash and cheques should ideally be counted and banked the same day they are collected. If this is not possible, please aim for 2 working days. 
• Cash and cheques should be banked using the BHF pay-in books provided. 
• When receiving cheques or single large donations please give the individual, group or organisation a receipt for their donation from the pay-in book. 
• If you are collecting on a private site, you must give the person who owns or manages the site a receipt if they ask for one. The receipt should include the address of the site, the box number, the date and the amount collected.
• You must count cash in a secure place. 

Where to send your fundraising money

There are different ways for you to pay in your fundraising money including:

• at the bank
• at the post office
• through Coinstar.

Full information including account details can be found on our how to pay in your fundraising page.