Aid charity wants others to follow Edinburgh's example
A search is on to find the most charitable people in the UK – and Scotland’s capital is off to a flying start.
Pollsters recently found that Edinburgh is one of Britain’s most generous cities in the UK with more than 50% of people donating money to emergency appeals to help the poorest people in the world.
According to the Attitudes to International Aid Survey, commissioned by UK aid body Bond, more than half of people questioned in the city said they have donated and would donate money to emergency appeals such as the recent Nepal earthquake.
This compares sharply to people in other cities such as Brighton where only 35% of the population have given money for similar causes.
The survey comes as Bond UK – the membership body for international development organisations - launched its VW Camper Van Summer Bus Tour - to find the most charitable people in the UK.
2015 is an important and historic year, as the world looks back over the past 15 years of progress made to overcome poverty
SNP MP for Edinburgh East, Tommy Sheppard and Sarah Boyack, Labour MSP for Lothian were at the Bond Bus during Edinburgh's Mela, before it embarked on a 10 day tour.
Ben Jackson, CEO of Bond said: “We are really pleased to have launched the Bond 10 Day Summer Tour in Edinburgh to celebrate the role we play in helping others around the world despite fierce criticism from people who question the UK’s aid commitment.
“It is a great opportunity to talk to people here, which our survey found to be one of the most generous places in the UK. And where better to do that than at Scotland’s biggest world music and dance festival.
“2015 is an important and historic year, as the world looks back over the past 15 years of progress made to overcome poverty, and looks forward to the next 15 years on how we tackle poverty, inequality and climate change.
“These global goals (Sustainable Development Goals) are just as important for the UK as it is for other countries.”
The survey also found that people in Scotland were also the most generous when it came to the UK’s role to help the poorest people in the world.
Of more than 2,260 adults surveyed across the UK, more than two thirds of people in Scotland said it was important that the UK keeps its promises to help people particularly in emergencies.
There are also more ethical shoppers in Edinburgh with over a third of people in the city saying they would buy and boycott products for environmental, ethical or political reasons compared to just 14% of people in Cardiff.
The survey was commissioned during 2015 to also mark the European Year of Development 2015 which highlights the results the European Union and member countries – including the UK - have achieved to date in tackling global poverty.
