’Tis the Season to be Generous: 57% Still Committed to a Charitable Christmas
- 23 million adults in the UK are concerned about how they’re going to pay for Christmas this year[1]
- Despite this, almost three out of five (57%) adults are still committed to giving to charity at Christmas – with half of them (47%) wanting to help local causes
Even though over four in ten (44%) people will be cutting back on festive spending this year, the spirit of Christmas is heart-warmingly alive in the UK today: 57% of adults are still committed to giving to charity, regardless of personal financial challenges.
Independent research from Metro Bank has revealed that 23 million adults (44%) are concerned with how they’re going to pay for Christmas this year, with worries including paying heating/energy bills (44%), the cost of buying presents (31%) and the price of Christmas dinner (21%). This is compounded by the fact that 12% of respondents are still paying off Christmas 2021.
The new research, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults, was cheering for struggling charities, as it revealed that almost three in five of us are still planning to give to charity this Christmas.[2] With people struggling across our communities, a locally focused 47% would prefer to donate to a charity working close to home.
The season of loving and giving also extends to who we buy from: nearly a third of respondents (32%) agree to having actively taken their business to brands that are showing they do more for charity.
Tina Coates, Chair of Metro Bank Charity Committee, comments:“This year has been tricky to navigate for everyone, and with rising costs across the board, it is heartening to see that people are still so invested in giving to charity, especially during the festive period. Metro Bank is a community bank, with each of our stores rooted in the local area that it serves. Our colleagues understand how important it is to give back to their local community, and every year our stores host hundreds of charity and business networking events.
“Half of the people we spoke to said that they want to see their bank giving more to local charities. This year, we’ve listened to the local communities near our stores and asked who our customers want to donate to, so our Christmas campaign is focused on giving back to those charities.”
The survey, conducted by 4Media Group for Metro Bank, also revealed the most common obstacles to people donating to charity: more than a quarter (28%) feel that their money gets lost in admin; over a fifth (22%) believe donated money gets spent on the wrong things; and 16% wish for more information about the charity before donating.
This year the Metro Bank Christmas Community Campaign will support 76 local charities – from foodbanks and homeless shelters to children’s charities and hospices. All donations, including toys, care packages and money will go directly to the charity, in order to “spread warmth” this winter.
[1] 44% of 52,890,044 (total number adults in the UK) https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2020#age-structure-of-the-uk-population
[2] 69% of those surveyed usually give to charity at Christmas and out of these 69%, 83% are still planning to do so this year.