Charities play a huge role in British life. There are around 170,000 registered charities in England and Wales alone, regulated by the Charity Commission. Big-name charities include Cancer Research UK, the British Red Cross, Age UK, Save the Children, Macmillan Cancer Support and Oxfam, but most charities are small and local.
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Many charities depend on unpaid volunteers — running shops, sorting donations, helping at events. Donations made by UK taxpayers can be increased by 25% through Gift Aid, which lets the charity reclaim the basic-rate income tax. Volunteering is one of the activities the handbook lists as a way of taking part in the community.
You may be asked which body regulates charities (the Charity Commission), or what Gift Aid does.
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