A vulnerable older person with dementia was wrongly signed up for regular charity lottery payments by a fundraiser, a regulatory investigation has found.

The Fundraising Regulator found six breaches of its code in relation to the targeting of the man in 2024, who was also partially sighted and lived in a private retirement community were cold calling is not permitted.

The fundraising took place “through a chain of organisations”, involving British Limbless Ex Service Men’s Association (BLESMA) which had an agreement with another charity St Helena Hospice (SHH), that carries out fundraising through a wholly owned subsidiary.

SHH also contracted another company SKW Southeast (SKW), which employed the fundraiser involved in the complaint. This company has since been dissolved, says the regulator.

Breaches of the code were found in terms of informing donors and treating people fairly, ensuring contracts in place, monitoring of fundraisers and making sure standards apply in “particular locations and activities”.

“We found it was more likely than not that the donor’s circumstances should have made it apparent to the fundraiser that they were potentially vulnerable,” said the regulator.

“The donor’s details were recorded incorrectly, including their name and address, and an email address was collected even though the donor reportedly did not have one.

“On balance, we found this suggested the donor was having difficulty providing information and that the fundraiser did not take the additional care that should have followed.”

The regulator added that an apology has been issued and payments have been returned.

Also, other donors recruited in the same residential area have been contacted. Refresher training on vulnerable people has also taken place and the fundraiser has been removed from future campaigns.

“We will continue to liaise with the charity to support its compliance with our recommendations following our investigation.,” added the Fundraising Regulator.

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