London crowned UK's kindest city at Christmas, study finds

"A study of 2,000 adults commissioned by Santander found that one in three Britons say they are more inclined to carry out random acts of kindness during December. The festive goodwill fades sharply in January, however, with one in five people saying the country is at its least friendly at the start of the year. Respondents described their compatriots as less forgiving, happy and kind during the post-Christmas slump."

"Despite its long-standing Scrooge-like reputation, London emerged as the most generous place in the UK over the festive period. Almost half of Londoners (49 per cent) said they are more likely to perform random acts of kindness at Christmas, compared with other times of the year. Liverpool and Manchester ranked second and third respectively. The research also found that charitable giving and volunteering peak in December."

"Nearly one in three people (30 per cent) said they are more inclined to donate to charity during the Christmas season, while 31 per cent reported volunteering more in December than at any other point in the year. HarveyRidesBikes handing out Christmas gifts to Londoners Close to a third said they donated their time over the festive period, while over half of survey responders admitted they didn't offer their time for free at any part of the year."

Two thousand adults were surveyed about seasonal behaviour. One in three Britons are more inclined to carry out random acts of kindness during December; goodwill fades in January when one in five say the country is least friendly. Charitable giving and volunteering peak in December: 30% are more likely to donate and 31% volunteer more than at other times. London is the most generous UK city at Christmas with 49% of Londoners more likely to perform random acts of kindness; Liverpool and Manchester follow. Common festive gestures include visiting friends and family, cooking for others, complimenting strangers, and leaving bigger tips, while over half of respondents never volunteer at any time.

Read at www.standard.co.uk