The list ranks the rich by their charitable donations.
Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford has become the youngest person ever to top the Sunday Times Giving List – the annual measure of philanthropy among the super-rich and celebrities.
The rankings are worked out by setting each individual’s sum donated to or raised for charity against their wealth valuation on the publication’s famous Rich List.
It’s not surprising to see Rashford rank so highly either, with his remarkable charity work grabbing headlines over the past year. His biggest achievement was surely when he successfully lobbied the government into a U-turn over its free school meals policy during the Covid lockdown, ensuring that thousands of children in need would received free meals throughout the summer.
The 23-year-old was awarded an MBE in October for his work helping vulnerable and under-privileged children during the pandemic, and he has now formed a child poverty task force to tackle the issue, teaming up with some of the country’s biggest supermarkets and food brands.
He is also an ambassador for food poverty charity FareShare, and Sky report that his efforts have triggered an estimated £20 million of additional donations to the charity. As a result this gives him a rating on the Sunday Times Giving List of 125, as the £20 million represents 125 per cent of his net worth of £16 million.
Lindsay Boswell, FareShare chief executive, said: “We are delighted he’s been honoured in this way. Marcus’ support for FareShare over the last year and his commitment to tackling child hunger has simply been incredible.
“His own experience of relying on free school meals to eat brings authenticity and compassion to his campaigning, and his status as a Premier League footballer means people and politicians sit up and take notice.”
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson also features on the Giving List, recognising his role in raising £4 million for the NHS from fellow Premier League players through the #PlayersTogether coronavirus appeal.
For the first time in the history of the list, the total amount of donations exceeded £4 billion, which is up 36 per cent on last year, with 182 of those on the Rich List among the £1-million plus in the past year, another record.
It seems like the pandemic has fuelled a spree of giving, with the Sunday Times recording £520 million of donations for just Covid-related causes, such as covering PPE supplies, the alleviation of food poverty, community support, and helping to plug the £10 billion gap in the finances of charities across the nation.
