Britons give record £7bn to charity

Charities received a record £7.3 billion of donations last year despite economic uncertainty and a third of people still giving nothing, a report has claimed.

During 2002, the average monthly donation rose by 4% to £12.93, with women giving an average of £13.57 a month, around a £1 more than men despite generally earning less.

But at the same time the proportion of people giving money to charity fell slightly to 67.3% from 68.5% the previous year, according to the Charities Aid Foundation and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Only 7.6% of people gave more than £50 a month, but despite this they accounted for more than 60% of the total amount donated during the year.

The groups said an increase in people donating to charity on a regular basis through direct debits, which now account for more than 15% of total donations, had helped to prevent a stagnation in the amount given. But giving money to someone collecting in the street is still the most popular way to donate to charity, with one in five people making a contribution in this way.

Medical research charities remain the most popular causes, with 24% of those questioned saying they donated to them, followed by organisations for children and young people which were backed by 20.5% of people.

During the year, around £2 billion of donations were made using Gift Aid, which enables charities to claim back around 28p from the Inland Revenue for every £1 donated, boosting their income by £437 million.

Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, said: "British donors have shown themselves to be a resilient lot who, despite gloomy forecasts and widespread concerns about consumer finance, have just kept on giving.

"UK charities, already hit hard by declining share prices, have been able to keep helping the most vulnerable in our society thanks to people's willingness to make the most of planned and tax efficient methods of supporting good causes. The challenge now is to maintain and build upon this support."

The report was based on interviews carried out by NOP, who questioned 1,000 people face to face during each quarter of 2002.

Most watched News videos