Charity and giving — why and how

①What charities actually do

A charity is a group of people working together to help others. There are lots of different things charities help with:

• People who can't afford food. Charities like the Trussell Trust run food banks across the UK.
• People who don't have a home. Shelter, Crisis and St Mungo's help people who are homeless.
• Sick people and medical research. Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, the British Heart Foundation.
• Children in tough situations. NSPCC, Barnardo's, Childline.
• Animals. RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Cats Protection.
• The environment. WWF, the Woodland Trust, the RSPB (birds).
• People in other countries. Oxfam, Save the Children, the Red Cross.

Each charity has people who decide where money goes and others who do the actual helping. Most of them depend on donations from regular people to do their work.

②How charities make sure money is used well

The UK has a special group called the Charity Commission. They check every charity, every year, to make sure:

• The money raised is used for what the charity said it would do
• The people running the charity are honest
• The charity is open about how it spends money — anyone can see the numbers

If a charity doesn't follow the rules, the Charity Commission can step in. If it's very serious, they can close the charity down.

So when you give to a registered UK charity, you can be sure the money is going to the work, not into someone's pocket. Most charities use most of their money on the actual helping — some on staff who organise the helping, and a small bit on telling people about the charity so more people can give.

③How to pick a charity to give to

There are thousands of UK charities. You can't give to them all. So pick one (or a few) that match what you care about.

Ask yourself:

• What kind of helping do I find most important? People, animals, environment, sick people?
• Do I want to help in the UK or somewhere else in the world?
• Is there a charity my family already supports?
• Did anything I saw on TV or in a book make me want to help with a specific thing?

Once you have an idea, search online for "[your idea] UK charity" and look at a few. Read the "About" page. Check they're registered with the Charity Commission (most have the charity number on every page).

④How to give — even small amounts

You don't need lots of money to be a giver. Here are some ways:

• The share pot. Put a small amount of your pocket money each week into a "share" envelope. Once a month or once a year, give the total to a charity.
• Sponsored events. Some children do a sponsored walk, swim, silence, or read — family and friends donate money for doing it.
• Selling things you don't need. Give old toys, books or clothes to a charity shop. Or sell them online and donate the money.
• Birthday or Christmas instead of gifts. Some families ask grandparents to donate to a charity instead of buying a present. (Not every year — but once is a nice idea.)
• Fundraising at school. Children in Need, Comic Relief, World Book Day — lots of school days that raise money for charity.

⑤Be careful with online charity asks

Most UK charities are honest. But sometimes scammers pretend to be charities to take people's money.

Things to watch for:

• Someone messaging you out of the blue asking for money — even if they say it's for a good cause
• A website that looks rushed or has spelling mistakes
• A "JustGiving" page from someone you don't know personally
• Anyone asking for your bank details to donate (you should only need to enter your card details on a secure page)

If you want to give to a charity, the safest way is to go to the charity's real website yourself (search the name, check the .org.uk or .org address, look for the Charity Commission number). Then donate from there.

⑥Why giving feels good

Lots of grown-ups who give to charity say it makes them feel good — even better than buying something for themselves.

Scientists who study this have found a few reasons:

• Helping others reminds you that you have enough
• Doing something good for someone else makes you feel useful
• Being part of something bigger than yourself feels meaningful

You don't have to give to feel like a good person. People help in lots of ways — kindness, time, listening, sharing. Money is just one way. The point is to do something, however small, for people other than yourself.

NCFor teachers: curriculum links

• England — PSHE Association KS2 L17 (managing money), L19 (charity, community)
• England — Citizenship KS2 (community, rights and responsibilities)
• Wales — Curriculum for Wales Progression Step 2-3 (Humanities AoLE, HWB AoLE)
• Scotland — Curriculum for Excellence HWB 2-13a (caring for others)
• NI — PDMU KS2, Religious Education KS2

Full mapping in the curriculum map.