Public trust for charities is significantly higher in Scotland than in England and Wales, according to a report by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

The umbrella body for voluntary organisations in Scotland reveals that 82 per cent of people in Scotland feel that charities operate for the public benefit, as opposed to just 57 per cent of people in England and Wales.

The survey of more than 1,000 people reveals that Scotland has not been affected by the sharp drop in public trust of charities seen elsewhere in the UK, according to SCVO.  

The survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI, also reveals that 77 per cent of respondents in Scotland donated to a charity in the last year, with a further 89 per cent reporting that they had supported a charity "in some way" during the year, compared to just 81 per cent in England and Wales.

More than half of respondents - 54 per cent – said their trust in charities remained the same despite negative press coverage of the sector last year. Some 16 per cent reported that their trust had increased over the year, while just 28 percent said it had dropped.

Director of public affairs at SCVO, John Downie, said: “Right across the board, we’re seeing that people in Scotland are more closely connected to charities and are more likely to give their time and money to them than people in other parts of the UK.”

But he also urged Scottish charities to build on that trust with a new system of fundraising self-regulation.

“Everything charities do hinges on public trust,” he said. “We shouldn’t take this trust and support for granted. We need to do everything in our power to maintain and strengthen it. That’s why we’re urging charities in Scotland to help design a new system of fundraising self-regulation to ensure that the public can completely trust, and have confidence, in how they raise funds for the causes they care about.”