The Big Givers – What Are The Largest Charities In The UK Today?
We know that charitable brands vary in size, from something tiny and local, to a huge corporation. When we think of big charities, or if we had to say off the top of our heads what we thought the biggest were, we’d probably come up with roughly the same names, though maybe in varying orders.
There are several major charities that will have shops on the high streets and lots advertise on television. If I had to reel a few off without researching them, I’d probably say – Oxfam, The Heart Foundation or Save the Children This may be because they are the ones I remember from my high street and local shops, as well as them having memorable adverts. It seems likely that the ones that have the biggest ‘presence’ are the same ones that have the largest brand value, as they will have the largest budgets for things like media campaigns and so on. But are they?
Read on to find out the top five charities in the UK according to the Charity Brand Index 2012, and more importantly, what they do!
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research has been a market leader for several years. It generates a whopping £380 million a year and this is due, in part, to the large amount of money it receives through donations and legacies. It is funded entirely by the public and is the largest cancer charity in the UK. They describe themselves as working towards the day when all cancers, currently, some 200 types, are cured.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Second on the list is another cancer charity. Macmillan provides practical, medical and financial support for anybody suffering from cancer and they push for better cancer care. Their role is to make life easier for those suffering. This can be anything from providing a Macmillan nurse to visit a patient at home, meaning they remain in a comfortable environment, to offering financial support to help reduce worry in an already stressful time. They rely on 98% public donations.
Royal British Legion/Poppy Support
The Royal British Legion is the largest serving Charity and it helps the whole armed forces community. They support serving members, their families and dependants, and provide practical care, advice and support all through the year. They campaign to improve the lives of those in the forces. They are probably most famous for the Poppy Appeal. This remembers those who have sacrificed their lives in the war and raises money to help veterans and the armed forces today. They have a large UK membership of around 300,000.
BBC Children in Need
The BBC first made a radio broadcast appeal for children in 1927. It had many subsequent appeals, but it was in 1985 that Pudsey Bear first made an appearance as a mascot, and the brand Children in Need was started. The appeal has raised over £650 million pounds. Each year there is an appeal night. An evening of entertainment involving celebrities and the public helps to raise large amounts of money. This is then donated as grants to various projects and programmers that support and improve the lives of young people.
Comic Relief
The last, but by no means least, of the five is Comic Relief. They are a major UK charity that works to create a world free from poverty. They have raised millions of pounds through Red Nose Day and Comic Relief. They use the money to tackle the root causes of poverty and believe that the power of their brand can help raise awareness of the issues. Lenny Henry is arguably the most famous face of the brand. Comic Relief believes that one of their strengths is inspiring people who normally aren’t involved in charity to get up and do something about it. Great stuff.
About the author: is a journalist working for ThirdSectorVolunteering
Image credit: Creative Commons license from Dave Crosby’s flickr photo stream. Image source
