Homelessness is the top cause that people give to over Christmas

Many of us (44%) would be willing to receive fewer Christmas presents and instead see the money go to a good cause.

Latest polling The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)’s latest polling also reveals that three out of 10 people give to charity during the festive season, with the average person donating £20.

Unsurprisingly homelessness is the top cause that people give to over Christmas, followed closely by children’s charities and animal welfare.

And for those of us who’ll be doing the cooking on Christmas Day, the average person will spend £40 on ingredients, whilst we each shell out £100 on average on presents for the special someone that we spend most on.

Commenting on the numbers, Susan Pinkney, head of research at CAF, said: “Many British people are at their most generous during the festive period; at CAF our data indicates that November and December are consistently the peak months for charity donations.

“It really is a great time to support a cause that you care about, whether that’s by donating a little money, buying a set of charity Christmas cards or volunteering. There are countless ways to give back this Christmas.”