UK’s most affluent areas are the least generous, report finds

People living in the UK’s most affluent areas give less of their disposable income to good causes compared to those in poorer parts of the country, research has found.

The Charities Aid Foundation analysis of giving found that on average people give 1.1% of their income me charity.

But in wealthier areas of London many are giving half this amount.

CAF found that the least generous area is Kensington and Bayswater, where the value of a typical home is around £1.5m. Here residents give only 0.5% of their income to charities.

Similarly, those in Chelsea and Fulham, Holborn and St Pancras give 0.6% and residents in Battersea and Tooting donate 0.7%.

In contrast the most generous areas include Sheffield Hallam, where the value of a typical home is £162,000, and Sutton Coldfield where a typical home is worth £395,00. In both areas residents give 1.9% of their disposal income to charity each year.

Other generous area include: Wirral West, Manchester Withington and Sefton Central.

The findings show “an imbalance between generosity, where charities are located, and where their services are most needed”, said CAF.

“While having some of the UK’s least generous areas, London recorded the highest levels of people using charities for day-to-day needs – with over 40% of Tower Hamlets, Peckham, and Hackney residents saying either they, or someone in their household, rely on charities.”

CAF chief executive Neil Heslop added: “Giving plays a vital role in building more resilient charities, to continue their work at the heart of our communities, improving outcomes and strengthening social cohesion.

“But with uneven levels of generosity, we need to consider how we encourage those who can afford it, to give more and how we can empower places to attract more philanthropic investment to translate into a more resilient social fabric.

“This is not just a challenge for local places. The answer also starts at a national level, through a new strategic framework for giving that has place – and local communities – firmly at its heart.”