29 March 2013
One pound in six given to charity in Britain last year (2011/12)
went to religious causes, making them the largest beneficiary of
donations, according to research showing that Britons remain
committed to supporting faith groups up and down the country.
Religious causes received 17% of the total money given to
charity by the public in the UK - amounting to nearly £1.6 billion
– in 2011/12, ahead of medical and hospital causes - each
accounting for 15% of money donated - children's charities (11%)
and overseas causes (10%).
The figures come from the annual UK Giving report, published each year by the
Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and the National Council for
Voluntary Organisations, based on figures supplied by the Office
for National Statistics.
The smallest amounts were given to arts and sports charities,
which each received just 1% of total donations.
Just over 11,000 charities in the UK have a specifically
religious purpose, according to the latest charity accounts.
However, medical charities remained the cause supported by the
largest number of donors, backed by one in three donors (33%),
followed by hospitals (backed by 30% of donors) and children’s
charities (backed by 23% of donors). Religious causes were backed
by 14% of donors
Data
released by CAF in 2012 also showed that people who are
religious donate over twice as much money to charity as those
without a faith.
The average amount religious people gave to charity was £576
over the previous 12 months, compared to the £235 contributed by
those of no faith.
Richard Harrison, Director of Research at the Charities Aid
Foundation, which promotes charitable giving and provides financial
services and social finance to not-for-profit organisations, said:
“It is a little appreciated phenomenon that so much money is
regularly donated to churches, places of worship and other
religious causes, who play such an important role in our
communities.
“It is excellent that people across the UK continue to give so
much to charity, particularly at a time when many charities face
pressure on their finances, with as many as one in six believing
they face closure this year.
"The support people give to religious and other community causes
is part of the glue that binds our society together."
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