A charity has published new research showing that the British public has remained generous with donations throughout 2021, despite financial pressures resulting from the pandemic.

ActionAid, an international charity which works with women and girls living in poverty, published the research which shows that the UK public donated a total of £4bn in the last year. The study also ranks UK cities in terms of generosity. Southampton tops the list, with the average Sotonian donating £127.56 this year, compared to the national average of £74.74.

40% of Britons have donated more in the last 12 months, with a third of that number stating that they gave more because they have been made more aware of others’ struggles during the pandemic. 45% of Brits gave to charities like ActionAid which work to end violence against women and girls. 45% of those polled also said that they donated to causes which support children across the world to stay in education.

ActionAid has recently launched their Christmas appeal, ‘Let Her Learn’, which aims to help girls living in poverty to access schooling. The financial impacts of the pandemic have meant that more girls are out of school and in work, as they are expected to earn an income to support their families. There are currently 129 million girls out of school globally.

The charity works with women and girls across 40 countries, running projects that include learning centres in Kenya, where over 5,000 girls are being taught basic skills before going onto formal education.

Lucky, of Malindi in Kenya, was the only girl in her primary school who was able to complete her studies. She now works in catch-up education centres, supporting other girls in their learning.

She commented:

I believe girls who are forced to drop out can still achieve great things when given the right support. However, we still face many barriers such as the impact of Covid-19 which has forced many girls to leave school.

Kath Blaize-Smith, Head of Public Fundraising at ActionAid UK added:

We need support from the generous UK public more than ever, so people like Lucky can help even more girls receive the free, safe and quality education that is their human right. With a good education girls have the power to change their own futures and it is one of the most effective ways of making lasting change in the world’s poorest communities. In fact, for every year that a girl stays in secondary school, her future earnings increase by 18%. We are always tremendously grateful for the support we receive throughout the year, but especially at Christmas. Thank you for your continued generosity!

ActionAid is asking the UK public to donate to its Christmas appeal “Let Her Learn” today. To donate: https://www.actionaid.org.uk/donate/rg/let-girls-learn-christmas-appeal

Photo by Katt Yukawa on Unsplash