The British public is expected to give £2.8bn to charities ahead of Christmas this year, research is suggesting.

Charities Aid Foundation research says some of this total has already been given during November with the rest set to be handed to charities this month in the run up to Christmas.

It found that half of the public are set to donate to charities during November and December, which is “significantly higher” than the third of people who give during the rest of the year.

Three quarters of those giving will donate money, while just under half aim to give goods. Meanwhile, around one in seven aim to volunteer.

The top reasons given for giving to good causes at Christmas, which was cited by almost two in five of the public, is a greater awareness that people need help at this time of year.

More than a quarter say it is a traditional time to give, while more than one in five say they are more aware of charity appeals.

One in ten say they are motivated to donate to charity instead of giving presents.

“Up and down the country, charities are helping more and more people this winter – those who are most in need in our society,” said CAF head of charities Philippa Cornish.

“Charities understand more than most the financial pressures some households are facing.

“But the last few years has seen a decline in the number of people regularly donating to charity.

“We hope that for those who can afford to, they give generously this year to good causes.

“There are also other ways to help, such as through volunteering or donating goods. Many charities rely on mass giving and festive fundraising and they will certainly appreciate an injection of generosity this Christmas.”

High profile charity campaigns ahead of Christmas include Giving Tuesday, which took place this week.

Another is Big Give’s match funding Christmas Challenge, which sees public donations to more than 1,250 matched.

A sum of £20m in match funds have been made available for this through the campaign’s partners including The Reed Foundation, Julia Rausing Trust and The Childhood Trust.

The Christmas Challenge launched on December 3 and ends on December 10.

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