In 2008, the Data Partnership carried out a survey of UK donors where responders were asked the question: “Which of the following causes would you consider donating to ?”

The answers were revealing.

280,000 people said that they would consider giving to Cancer (no surprise there !).

262,000 people said they would give to Children and 233,000 to Animals.

But only 15,400 said they would give to the Homeless and fewer than half of that number – 7,000 – said they would give to Old Age.

Has anything changed in the last 7 years ?

In a report in 2016, UK Giving stated that in 2015 people in the UK gave £9.6 billion to charity – that’s an average of £150 per head.

Of this overall sum, 16% went to medical research and 12% to hospitals/hospices.

8% went to animals.

Only 4% went to the Elderly and 4% to Homeless people, housing and refugee centres.

The good news is that the Elderly now appear to be treated as well as Homeless people – but both these groups attract only half the amount that animals receive.

Of course, it is every individual’s right to give what they want and to give to whatever charities they please.

But it makes me just a little uncomfortable that as a country we rate animals as a higher priority than the Elderly or Homeless people.

What do you think ?