Men 'lagging behind women over charitable behaviour'

Men are lagging behind women when it comes to supporting good causes, according to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).

Three in five women (60%) got involved in some form of charitable behaviour in a typical month in 2015, compared with 52% of men, its research found.

The report estimates that people donated a total of £9.6 billion to charity in 2015 - slightly down on the £10.1 billion total estimated for 2014.

The CAF said while this apparent decrease could be an early indication that charitable giving is on a declining path, future reports will be able to show whether it is the start of a real trend.

The most popular way for people in the UK to support a charity was donating money, followed by donating goods and sponsoring someone.

The CAF's report, titled UK Giving, also found that 44% of people aged over-65 had given money to charity in the past month, compared with 23% of people aged 16-24.

It also found that four in five (79%) people in the UK got involved in at least one form of charitable action in 2015.

Children's charities were the most widely supported causes, followed by medical research and animals.

The average donation made was £14 and cash is still the most common way for people to give, accounting for 55% of donations.

Nearly half (46%) of Britons donated goods in the past year with one in five (20%) doing so in a typical month.

One in seven (13%) people volunteered for a charity in 2015. While young people are least likely to give money, they are the most likely to give their time for free, with 19% of people aged 16-24 having done so. By comparison, 11% people aged 65 or over volunteered for a charity.

One in three (32%) people sponsored someone for charity in 2015. Women are more likely to be sponsors but give smaller amounts (£11.38) than men (£15.13) on average. People give most to sponsored events for hospitals and hospices, which attract an average sponsorship of £34.

CAF chief executive John Low said: "The UK is a nation of fundraisers and charity shop lovers with a great tradition of being among the most generous countries in the world.

"In 2015, four out of every five people did something to support a good cause. This huge support is crucial to the work charities do to improve people's lives both at home and across the world.

"While we should rightly be proud of this track record, many of us will be a little disappointed to see that men are still struggling to keep up with women when it comes to acts of generosity."

The UK Giving report surveyed more than 4,100 people aged 16 and over across the UK.