Ice bucket challenge: 'One in six Britons took part'

The stunt initially raised money for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association in the US

One in six Britons have taken part in the ice bucket challenge to raise money for charity, research commissioned by the Charities Aid Foundation suggests.

The charity told BBC Breakfast that one in 10 people donated as a result of the campaign - each giving an average of almost £5.

ComRes polled 2,058 British adults online from 5 to 7 September.

The challenge, in which icy water is dumped over people's heads, has raised millions for charity worldwide.

After a participant has taken on the challenge, they nominate others to follow suit.

The stunt initially raised money and awareness for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association in the US.

Its British equivalent, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, has also benefited as well as charities including Macmillan Cancer Support and WaterAid.

Selfie campaign

Some 61% of those who said they donated to charity as a result of the challenge said it would be in addition to the amount they usually give each year.

And 14% said it would replace a donation they were planning to make to another charity this year.

Charities Aid Foundation's head of research Deborah Fairclough said: "Social media is a fantastic way to help organisations big and small reach new supporters and spread awareness about their cause. And this year, in particular, we've seen an explosion of really creative campaigns.

"It's amazing to see people giving that little bit extra in order to get involved in movements like the ice bucket challenge whilst still maintaining their support for their favourite charities."

While the survey found that 17% of those it questioned had taken part in the ice bucket challenge, it also discovered that other social media-driven charity campaigns had also had an impact in the past year.

Of those surveyed, 7% donated to the late teenager cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton's campaign.

And 6% had taken part in the "no make-up selfie" campaign, raising funds for cancer charities.