Did you know that UK adults give an average of around £16,000 over a lifetime to charitable causes through regular donations?
We are so lucky at Breathing Matters to have amazing supporters who give regular monthly or yearly donations to help our vital research. A small, regular gift goes a very long way, as we have low overheads, which means your donations go straight to where they matter most — the research itself.
Regular giving provides us with reliable, ongoing funding that helps us plan and deliver future research projects with confidence. If you are interested in supporting Breathing Matters on a regular basis and don’t currently do so, we would be incredibly grateful if you would consider pledging a monthly gift to support our research.
Our commitment: At least 90% of all donations go directly to our charity’s research, helping to fund vital work and make a real difference.
Ways of giving regularly
Standing order
It’s simple to set up a standing order. Just follow these easy steps:
- Download and complete the standing order form.
- Send it to your bank so they can set up the standing order.
- Email a copy to Breathing Matters at breathingmatters@ucl.ac.uk for our records.
- With some banks and building societies, you can also set this up online or over the phone. If you do, please email a copy of the standing order confirmation to us for our records.
Payroll giving
If you are employed and pay income tax via PAYE, you can donate via Payroll Giving. As donations are taken out of your pre-tax salary, it is a cost-effective way to give.
For example, donating £50 a month via Payroll Giving will cost you:
- £40 if you are a basic rate taxpayer (20%)
- £30 if you are a higher rate taxpayer (40%)
- £27.50 if you are an additional rate taxpayer (45%)
This works because your donation is taken from your gross pay before income tax is calculated, so you receive tax relief immediately.
To donate via Payroll Giving, your employer needs to be registered with a HMRC-approved Payroll Giving Agency. There are several approved agencies in the UK, including organisations such as Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and Charities Trust. The full list is maintained by HMRC and updated periodically.
You can donate to any UK registered charity or good cause, and you can usually split your donation across multiple charities if you wish. It is the responsibility of the agency to pass your donation on to the charities you choose.
Most Payroll Giving agencies charge a small administration fee, typically around 2–4% of your donation or a small flat monthly charge. This is often deducted before the donation reaches the charity. However, many employers choose to cover this fee, and some will also match part or all of their employees’ donations. Check what arrangements exist in your company by contacting your Payroll or HR Office.
Good to know:
- Gift Aid does not apply to Payroll Giving, because the tax relief is already given at source.
- If you change jobs, your Payroll Giving usually stops and you’ll need to sign up again with your new employer (if they offer a scheme).
- You can usually make one-off donations as well as regular monthly gifts, depending on how your employer’s scheme is set up.
If you would like more information on Payroll Giving, please take a look at these resources:
- GOV.UK – Payroll Giving
- HMRC – Approved Payroll Giving Agencies
- Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF)
- If your company needs to know more about joining the scheme, here is a guide for employers.
Make your donation go further
We would be tremendously grateful for any regular donation, no matter the amount. To give you an idea of how your support can help, here are just a few of the items on our pulmonary fibrosis wish list:
- £5 – Equipment to take a blood sample for our research.
- £10 – A specialised test to look at novel biomarkers in the blood.
- £20 – Staining four slides of lung tissue to study new molecules and link them with molecular imaging scans.
- £30 – Growing fibroblasts (cells that cause scarring) in the lab from the lungs of people living with IPF.
- £40 – One hour of a clinical fellow’s time.
- £50 – Analysis of a molecular imaging (PET) scan for a person with IPF.
- £100 – Tests for novel biomarkers on 10 patient samples.
- £500 – Isolating and studying platelets from people with IPF, and comparing them to those from people with healthy lungs.
We depend on your regular gifts — and you really can make a difference.
[Updated Jan 2026]