Good-looking charity fundraisers 'more likely to receive donations'

... and people are less likely to sponsor people who miss out on the tea round

The survey found that almost half of adults (49 per cent) said they would be more likely to sponsor someone if they were doing something very unique (Rex)

Attractive charity fundraisers are more likely to receive donations, whereas that colleague who misses you out in the tea round will struggle for sponsorship signatures, according to research.

The British Heart Foundation asked 2,000 UK adults and found that 29 per cent of men and 12 per cent of women would be more likely to contribute their cash if they found the fundraiser good-looking.

Almost a quarter of men (23 per cent) and 17 per cent women said they would donate if they were trying to impress someone.

Perhaps in a testament to the British love of tea, a fifth of those surveyed said they would be less likely to sponsor a colleague who forgot to include them in the office tea round.

The statistics have been revealed as part of the BHF’s new campaign, Raise Funds Your Way which aims to attract more people into fundraising through their own unique way. According to the survey, almost half of adults (49 per cent) said they would be more likely to sponsor someone if they were doing something very unique and 50 per cent said they would donate if what they were doing was really challenging.

Tim Bajec, Head of Raise Funds Your Way at the BHF said: “We never cease to be amazed by the extraordinary lengths people go to fundraise for the BHF. Every contribution, big or small, plays a crucial part in every breakthrough we make… but we urgently need more people to join our fight for every heartbeat and help power our life saving research.”

The BHF also compiled a list of the most unusual ways their fundraisers kept the donations coming in. Included on the list was an 81-year-old wing walker, 22 year-old Jack Smith who raised £500 by wearing lobster claws as hands for 72 hours and a 14 year old who organised a spacehopper race in memory of her Dad.