LONDON, December 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

A traditional collection tin rattled in aid of a children's charity is the most effective way to attract charitable donations from Britons during the festive season, a survey has found.

According to the new study by charity insurance specialist Ecclesiastical, children's charities are the public's favourite causes in December, with just under one-third of UK adults (30.7%) citing them as the type of charity they are most likely to donate to.

Even though charities have introduced new methods to encourage the public to donate, such as email campaigns, the traditional collection tin - either held by a volunteer in the street or placed by a shop till - remains the most popular approach at this time of year with 38% of Britons preferring them.

Paid street collectors, sometimes referred to as chuggers, proved very unpopular: only 2.5% of Britons said they would hand money to a chugger in December.

Other collection methods likely to draw donations in December include sponsoring a friend (13.6%) and local community causes (10%). Britons are also open to disaster appeals in December with 7.8% of the population prepared to reach into their pockets in response to them.

After children's charities, medical charities are the second most popular charities at Christmas (13%) with animal charities, often seen as a peculiarly British trait, trailing in third place with 10% of the population favouring them.  School, sport and art charities are least popular at this time of year.

The survey also found that, for the majority of Britons, the festive spirit does not translate into a greater willingness to help good causes. 58% of the population said their charitable giving remained unchanged in December, while 16% donated less.

Commenting on the survey results, Martyn Turner, Ecclesiastical's charity underwriting manager said: "Higher outgoings in December may restrict our ability to be generous to charities, but it's reassuring to see that there is still a willingness to donate in the midst of what is a very expensive time of year.

"With most Britons preferring collection tins as a way of giving, charities can certainly take advantage of the increased footfall in high streets and shopping centres to get out and rattle those tins."

Ecclesiastical is an insurer specialising in providing charity insurance for all types of charities and not-for-profit organisations.

The survey of 1,000 UK adults was conducted for Ecclesiastical by independent research company OnePoll from 8-12 December.

About Ecclesiastical

Ecclesiastical is a specialist insurer of charities, the education, care and faith sectors, heritage buildings and fine art.

Founded in 1887 to provide insurance for the Anglican Church, we now offer a wide range of commercial insurances, as well as home, travel and wedding insurance, selling through brokers and direct.

Ecclesiastical also offers a range of ethically screened investment funds and has a team of Independent Financial Advisers.

SOURCE Ecclesiastical Insurance