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Why charities are still clinging to a giant cheque

Alex PopeNorthamptonshire
BBC Chris Hoy standing on the left, next to Paddy McGuinness, who is holding a cheque with both hands. Mel Giedroyc and Vernon Kay are also on stage to the right during a showing of Children in Need in 2024. McGuinness is wearing a yellow T-shirt. A glitter background is behind them. They are all smiling. BBC
Cheques are still regularly used during the annual Children in Need fundraising event

Before internet banking became the main way to pay and send money there was another way to do it — by writing a cheque.

According to the Image Clearing System (ICS), cheque volume has declined 49% from 2021 to 2025.

Personally, I only get a cheque as a birthday or Christmas gift from an elderly relative, but there seems to be a group of people who still want to cling to using this old-fashioned form of banking — charities who love an oversized piece of card with big numbers on.

James Grant/BBC A group of people, standing outside a building, which has South Entrance written on a canopy above the door. Two people at the front are holding a large cheque. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. James Grant/BBC
A large cheque was handed over from members of a rally team at Northampton General Hospital on Monday

It is seen as one way of showcasing fundraising activities by proudly posing by a giant cheque.

On Monday, Carlos Baldry, the organiser of the Wellingborough-based Rust Bucket Rally, did just that and presented a large cheque of £135,000 at Northampton General Hospital to help fund two years of bereavement counselling by the Cambridgeshire-based charity Petals.

Although it was not legal tender he said it was "the physicality of handing something over".

"All the money we have raised, over the years, we never see it, as it's done online," he said.

"This way it's ceremonious, it makes it more visible, it resonates a bit more with people."

He said after the event "every one of us came away thinking how lovely it was. You don't normally get that on a Monday morning".

"I'm 50, so I still know what they are and none of us want to let go of the past."

Petals A large mock-up of a cheque, propped up against a wall on a shelf, with flowers to the left and a candle and leaflet to the right. The wall is white. Petals
Petals said the Rust Bucket Rally cheque had pride of place in its office

A spokesperson for Petals, which is based in Swaffham Bulbeck near Cambridge, said: "The benefit of a cheque is it clearly symbolises money.

"The fact they are so oversized represents the extraordinary nature of the gift, emphasises the achievement, and it is something that donors can physically hand to the charity they are supporting.

"The 'handing over' moment then also gives us an opportunity to say 'thank you'."

They added that instead of an online transaction it gave "a sense of occasion".

Petals A large number of people standing in front of a large sign on a wall. They are by a banner and three people in the middle are holding a giant cheque. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. Petals
Petals said large cheques were of "huge value" to the charity

The cheque was made by Northampton-based Skins Vinyl & Wrapping. The company's Turan Notay said he had made about 10 in the past 20 years.

He confirmed it was not legal tender as it was made by the "Bank of the Rust Bucket Rally".

"We just don't use cheques anymore. The only one I get is from HMRC and I don't know what to do with it," he said.

He said holding a ceremony "marks a special occasion; it creates a moment".

Getty Images Lowry Stanage, British Telecom's West Midlands general manager, presents a £1,000 cheque to Sister Clare Buckle of Acorns Children's Hospice, Oak Tree Lane, Birmingham. There is a giant soft toy bear next to them.Getty Images
Cheques were used a lot more in the 1980s

A spokesperson for The Air Ambulance Service charity, which covers Northamptonshire, said: "We still get asked if we have large cheques for presentations on occasion.

"For a lot of people, it's about the tradition, not the novelty.

"Capturing that image is symbolic of hard work and sacrifice to raise money that - in the case of The Air Ambulance Service - will be used to save lives."

They said they are mostly a "prop" and donations were transferred separately, by BACS, bank transfer or a "real" cheque.

EACH Four people, standing outside, with two men, to the left, holding a large cheque. Two other women are standing to the right. They are by a large sign, with a path in front of them. A building is behind them all. EACH
The East Anglia's Children's Hospices charity still uses giant cheques to raise awareness of funds its supporters have collected

A spokesperson for the Nationwide building society, which has administration centres in Northampton, said: "Giant charity cheques can be a great way to mark a donation or celebrate fundraising, but they are only used for presentation purposes and cannot be cashed or paid in.

"The actual donation would need to be paid to the charity separately, such as by BACS, Faster Payments or as a standard cheque."

It said it could provide large cheques for presentations or photo opportunities if requested in advance, but they were being requested "less often".

ICS figures show that in 2020 the annual cheque volume reached 380 million items.

"Post-Covid decline saw cheques drop by 60% in one year to 153 million and it has not recovered since," said Pay.UK, the standards body for the UK's inter-bank payment systems.

ICS figures show:

  • 2021 total cheque transactions: 152.85 million items
  • 2022 total cheque transactions: 131.5 million
  • 2023 total cheque transactions: 112.03 million
  • 2024 total cheque transactions: 93.36 million
  • 2025 total cheque transactions: 78.71 million
Coleg Glan Hafren students donate a cheque to Children in Need and are pictured with Mr Blobby in 1993
In 1993, Mr Blobby was a popular figure who loved to get in on a giant cheque photo opportunity

James Cupit, the general manager of Thetford-based Event Stuff Ltd, in Norfolk, said: "Giant presentation cheques are still widely used today, particularly for charity fundraising, corporate donations, sponsorship presentations, award ceremonies, prize giveaways, community initiatives, publicity events and by family/friends for special occasions.

"While physical banking of cheques has become less common in everyday life, the giant presentation cheque remains a powerful visual tool for recognising achievements and creating memorable photo opportunities."

He said the company had produced custom cheques for more than 10 years, some for BBC Children In Need campaigns, as well as reusable ones.

They "symbolise generosity, achievement and community spirit in a way that digital transactions simply can't", he added.

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