Bedford has been named the second most generous town in the UK, according to the fundraising platform JustGiving.
In JustGiving’s round-up of 2022, Bedford was ranked just below Bristol and above Luton and large cities including London, Nottingham and York.
Throughout the UK, over half a billion pounds was raised for 23,000 charities and good causes in 2022, proving that despite the rising cost of living crisis, people dug deep throughout 2022 to support charities and individuals.
Top 10 most generous areas across the UK
- Bristol
- Bedford
- Luton
- North Somerset
- London
- Preston
- Nottingham
- York
- Peterborough
- Gwynedd
This news has not surprised local charities, who have unanimously told the Bedford Independent that they are constantly bowled over by the generosity of Bedfordians.
“Bedford foodbank has experienced a 69% increase in demand for our service this year but not once have our shelves been empty of food to give out,” said Sarah Broughton, project manager at Bedford Foodbank.
“The generosity of the town of Bedford overwhelms me continuously and how people just keep giving to others in the town.”
Sophie Stock, of the charity Fun 4 Young People, said: “Local support is key to the survival of charities, especially in the current economic climate, where grant funding streams are highly oversubscribed.
“It is incredible that Bedford has been recognised as one the highest areas of giving, knowing that we are a relatively small town compared to the others. This is a proud moment for our community.”
Family-focused charity, FACES, said that their donations were up 60% on the same time last year.
“At FACES we were overwhelmed by the support our Christmas appeal reached in December,” said a spokesperson for the charity.
“With the donations we were able to hold a Christmas party, a pop-up shop and offer additional presents to those families in crisis, meaning over 300 children benefitted from the donations.”
FACES has recently launched a ‘Baby Bank’ and says they have been inundated with donations, enabling to help vulnerable families when they open for referrals in February.
Community Projects Director at The Harpur Trust, Lucy Bardner, said: “We are so proud of the people of Bedford, but not surprised that despite the cost-of-living crisis they still managed to dig deep into their pockets to help others and donate to charity.
“We know Bedford people have so much to give – not just money but time, talent and resources. This report really reinforces our belief that if we all work together we can grow a brighter future for the next generation in Bedford.
“We’re looking forward to working with local charities and community organisations to improve the lives of those most in need and mobilising even more Bedfordians to inspire local people to reach their true potential.”
“This year has been really hard for so many people, yet we’ve seen a tremendous outpour of support for crowdfunders and charities,” said Pascale Harvie, president and general manager at Just Giving.
“Every single person that has donated and or fundraised is truly helping to make the world a better place and for that I just want to say thank you.”
