Our News
New Research Highlights Desire For Greater Community Involvement Across The UK
CAF’s Local Giving Report, which looks at levels of charitable giving, community engagement and local pride in every UK constituency, found that just 37% of people engaged in their community last year, while only half (52%) felt a sense of local pride.
The report highlights the virtuous circle that when people engage in their local communities, they are more likely to donate to charity and feel a sense of local pride. Engagement includes activities such as helping in their local area, taking part in a local campaign, supporting someone who is vulnerable or maintaining public spaces.
The areas with the greatest appetite for getting involved include urban, lower income areas where the number of residents keen for more opportunities to connect rises to more than one in five.
Giving from the UK public is declining, with people donating an average of 0.9% of their income compared to 1.1% the previous year. CAF’s UK Giving research published earlier this year, found that the amount donated to charity in 2025 dropped for the first time in five years.
However, this new research also reveals that when people see the positive impact of charities in their local community, they are much more likely to donate overall, twice as likely to give locally and three times as likely to volunteer.
Mark Greer, Managing Director of CAF, commented:
“When we are facing a sustained trend of declining donations, part of the solution to unlocking greater giving lies in understanding the power of place and community. It might seem obvious, but places matter to people. This report shows that when people are engaged in a local area, they tend to give more. We need targeted investment and collaboration from government, philanthropists and businesses to revitalise local cultures of giving and encourage community connections will help to strengthen charities and the places they support, for the future.”
Generosity in your area
