Four Welsh counties are in the top 20 most generous places in England and Wales, according to new research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
When it comes to donating money to charity, people in Conwy, Powys, Ceredigion, and Gwynedd give the highest percentage of the average local salary making them the most generous places in Wales.
In Conwy, the median donation is £25 compared to the average across England and Wales of £20. Gwynedd has the lowest average salary in the country, yet ranks as one of the most generous areas.
CAF has used its unique database of charitable giving patterns to create an interactive map of giving levels across England and Wales. The most generous place in England is Hounslow in North West London followed by the Isle of Wight, Brighton & Hove, and Ealing.
The CAF UK Giving Report recently found that British people donated £10.7 billion to charity in 2021, a substantial decrease from the £11.3 billion that was given in 2020 during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. The current cost-of-living crisis means that giving behaviour may change again in the latter half of 2022. Around one in eight (13%) are considering cutting back on donations in the next six months, while one in 12 people (8%) said they had chosen not to make a one-off donation between March and May.
Neil Heslop OBE, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said:
“Our new research has revealed that the counties of Conwy, Powys, Ceredigion, and Gwynedd in Wales are amongst the most generous areas in England and Wales.
“As we all face financial cost-of-living pressures, we encourage people to carry on giving what they can, or consider supporting in other ways by donating items to charity shops or volunteering, to help charities to continue their vital work helping the most vulnerable in society.
“Government could also further support charities by introducing measures such as making the Gift Aid process easier, which effectively tops up donations, and ensuring charities benefit from levelling-up funding.”
The top five most generous areas in Wales are: Conwy, Powys, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, and Denbighshire.
