More than one third (35%) of London residents said they will rely on charities for support or essentials this Christmas, with 37% saying they are considering using food banks, according to a survey of 2,000 people carried out by Censuswide for charity The Big Give.
Over half of Londoners said they expect to find this Christmas in particular harder to cope with than usual, with 24% citing financial insecurity and 33% citing concerns about Covid-19 as their main reasons.
In London, 56% of people are worried they will incur debt over Christmas, while around one in five is concerned about housing insecurity.
In a time when the work of charities is more important than ever, thankfully more than half of Londoners plan to donate the same or a higher amount to charity this year compared to usual.
A campaign organised by the Big Give and backed by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Dame Judi Dench, Russell Brand and others is aiming to help. The Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest Christmas coordinated fundraising appeal, is supporting over 900 charities to raise funds with the unique offer of matching any donations made during the week of 30th November – 7th December.
Lindsay Boswell, CEO of FareShare, a charity supported by Marcus Rashford which redistributes surplus food said, said: ‘Many voluntary sector organisations are warning there will be an increase in need for their services over what is likely to be a difficult winter for many families. Vulnerable communities will be hardest hit by cost of living increases and rising energy prices. We are hugely grateful for the support of the Big Give at this time when millions of families will be turning to charities and community groups for help getting food on the table.’
‘Kate’, a single mum to three children who has benefitted from the services of FareShare, but wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘Winter is a very hard time for us. Bills, especially our energy bill, have gone up quite a lot, and with Christmas coming there’s always more pressure. The money I’ve saved on my shopping with FareShare has helped me save up for Christmas presents for the kids, and I can set aside a bit to help with the bills. It means I can worry a bit less, knowing that the kids can focus on their school work and I’ll have dinner for them when they need it.’
Alex Day, Director of The Big Give said: ‘Our study shows that, sadly, people across the UK, and in particular London, are facing an imperfect storm; High fuel prices, chronic mental health problems, rising debt, loneliness and fears about Covid-19 will mean that, for many, this festive period will be a far cry from picture perfect scenes portrayed on Christmas cards.
‘Some will rely on charities which will be further and further stretched as demand grows.’
‘That is why, for those who can, supporting charities is more important than ever. Through The Christmas Challenge campaign, we are offering to match any donation made to hundreds of amazing charities through theBigGive.org.uk.. That means whatever you can give will go twice as far.’
