9 Out Of 10 Brits Have Performed An Unexpected ‘Good Deed’ For Someone

Britain is a nation full of ‘do-gooders’ it seems, as a whopping 9 out of 10 (91%) UK adults have performed a good deed for a friend, family member or stranger with no expectation of thanks or reward in the past year, according to a new study.

With World Kindness Day on 13th November, UK train operator  Grand Central have been eager to discover more about just how many random acts of kindness are happening across the UK, and they surveyed 2,000 UK adults to find out more.

The poll highlighted that almost half of UK adults have done something unexpectedly kind for someone else in the past week (44%), with a further fifth (20%) having done so in the past fortnight.

Forty per cent of those surveyed have also been at the receiving end of a kind deed in the past week. In total, eight in ten (82%) Brits could recall at least one good deed being done for them in the past 12 months.

Just eight percent of Brits cannot remember the last time they did a good deed for someone and 16% can’t recall the last time someone did something unexpectedly kind for them.

Studies have shown that the simple act of doing something nice for another person has known health benefits due to an increase in oxytocin for both the giver and the receiver. Side effects include reduced anxiety levels, lower blood pressure, an improvement to overall heart health, increased self-esteem, and feelings of optimism².

For those in search of some ‘do-gooder’ inspiration, Grand Central also quizzed Brits about the random acts of kindness they value the most. Above all else, an unexpected compliment was found to be the favourite act of kindness across the nation (48%).

Other things favoured by the nation included being thanked for help given (30%), being let in front of someone in a queue for the bus (30%), having the door held open for them (27%), being treated to a hot drink or food item unexpectedly (27%), and seeing someone do something nice for others such as helping the homeless, donating to charity etc. (26%).

The UK’s Most Favoured Act of Kindness	%
Being given an unexpected compliment	48%
Being thanked for your help or support of another person	30%
Someone letting you in front of them in line at the shops/on public transport	30%
Having the door held open for you	27%
Someone treating you to a hot drink/food item	27%
Seeing someone do a charitable act for other (e.g., helping a homeless person)	26%
Someone offering to help with your bag(s) or suitcase	25%
Another driver letting you merge in front of them in busy traffic	25%
Receiving an unexpected text asking you “How are you?” / “How was your day?”	24%
Someone helping you when you're lost	24%
Being sent a card or package from a friend or family member for no specific occasion or reason	23%
Someone catching up with you to give you the item you've dropped/left behind	22%
Being given a seat on a crowded bus or train	22%
Being baked a surprise cake for your birthday	21%
Someone paying your bill at a restaurant / bar	20%
Being given flowers for no specific occasion or reason	20%
Being made / brought dinner by a friend	20%
Being given a pay and display ticket with time left on it by another driver	19%
Being offered a lift by a friend / family member	19%
Someone helping you up if you trip over	17%

 

 
A fifth of those surveyed (21%) said that being offered a seat on a busy train or bus was the kind deed most likely to make them smile.

Recently, TV and Radio presenter Adrian Chiles shared his own heart-warming experience of a random act of kindness he received from a stranger whilst travelling by rail, and with more than 387million passengers reported to have travelled on the UK’s trains this year, the UK train operator is eager to find more examples of this from their passengers.

In a bid to showcase the country’s kindness, Grand Central Rail are asking the nation to nominate anyone who has done a good deed for them over the past year and are offering the chance to take home a prize of two first-class Grand Central Rail tickets* as well as a £100 Love2Shop voucher.

To be in with a chance of winning, entrants must share details about the person they’re nominating and the act of kindness that took place, with the option to submit an image to support their entry before midnight on the Friday 26th November 2021. 

Further details on how to enter, as well as full T&Cs can be found on the Grand Central website. Good luck to all those who enter.