Value of charity to everday society revealed
Scots are engaging with charities more than ever before, new research has shown.
Data compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) reveals more than three quarters of Scottish households have used a charity service in the last 12 months.
The findings are published in CAF’s Charity Street Scotland report, a snapshot of charity usage among Scottish households.
Its report also found that nine in 10 people across Scotland have used a charity service at some point in their lives whether for advice, support, help in times of need or as somewhere to visit on a day out.
However CAF found that more than a quarter are often unaware that the service they or someone in their household had used was provided by a charity.
Younger people aged 18-34 were the most likely to be unaware at 34% compared with 31% of 35-54 year olds and 19% of those aged 55 and above.
CAF’s report follows the release earlier this year of CAF’s Scotland Giving Report which revealed that generous Scots gave an estimated £1.2 billion to good causes in 2017.
Sir John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: “Charities are central to everyone’s lives. They provide help and advice, medical support and care, places in which to relax and opportunities to learn and be inspired. It is worrying, however, that around one in three people don’t realise that a charity is behind the things that make such a difference.
“While charities in Scotland have a proud history going back hundreds of years we cannot sit back and assume they will always be valued and supported. It is important that we remember the central role civil society plays in our country and do all we can to nurture and build that great tradition of generosity that makes our society what it is.”
Chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Anna Fowlie said: "Charity Street Scotland offers a valuable insight in to the charity landscape in Scotland, allowing organisations to understand better how and why people interact with them.
“That nine in 10 of us have used services provided by a charity shows how integral the sector has become to our everyday lives. However, with more than a quarter of people who used charities in the last year unaware they had done so, we still have work to do in raising awareness of how the modern charity sector has evolved.
“While some might initially be concerned by such widespread use of charity services, we should be encouraged to learn the most common reason for people doing so was to have fun! It’s important to remember that charities are not only there to support those in need, but to allow people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy the communities they live in and the activities they love the most.”
