Big Give Grenfell appeal raises £2.6m: its biggest ever total for an individual cause
Melanie May | 7 September 2017 | News
The Big Give campaign to raise funds for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire has closed after raising £2.6m.
The total is the Big Give’s highest ever for an individual cause. The Grenfell Tower appeal was set up in the hours following the fire with The K&C Foundation, and offered to double public donations through match funding commitments from local companies and philanthropists. Significant match funders include The Cadogan Estate, Julia and Hans Rausing, Monsoon Accessorize, DMGT Plc, Reed Recruitment and The Bjorgolfsson Family amongst others.
The appeal raised £1m in the first 48 hours and reached £2m a week after the fire. In total it raised £2,612,646. A total of £1,184,032 public donations were matched with a further £244,582 being contributed in unmatched donations and Gift Aid.
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The Big Give appeal contributed to a total of £5.75m raised by The K&C Foundation. Over 50% of all of the funds raised have now been committed:
- £120k within days of the tragedy to six local organisations working on the frontline. This money was given out to meet the immediate needs of people who had lost their homes or been displaced.
- £1.2 million to a joint charity initiative (with the British Red Cross and and The London Community Foundation/Evening Standard, coordinated by the Charity Commission) to pay grants of £40,000 to the next of kin of people who have lost their lives or are missing and up to £20,000 to support each seriously injured person.
- £1.6 million for ‘Fresh Start’ grants of £10,000 for each household from Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk to help them rebuild their lives
The remaining £2.9m will focus on the medium to long-term response with The K&C Foundation talking to relevant groups to identify the evolving needs of the people at the centre of the tragedy and acting on them.
Susan Dolton, Director of The K&C Foundation said:
“The response to our appeal with the Big Give has been touching and inspiring and we are extremely grateful to everyone who has given to help those affected by the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower. We are working to ensure that those whose lives have been so tragically altered by this unprecedented tragedy are helped at this most difficult time. As a local charity, we are also committed to standing by the community and helping with long term needs”.
James Reed, a Trustee of the Big Give, said:
“We have been humbled by the incredible response of the public to our appeal, and are grateful to our partners at The K&C Foundation for ensuring that the funds raised are being used to best effect. We’ve seen incredible acts of generosity throughout the past twelve weeks. The whole concept of match funding is that giving together is better, and there has certainly been a sense of ‘coming together’ to support the North Kensington community.”
WATCH: London Live interview with Alex Day 16/06/17
- British Red Cross ‘shop for Grenfell’ to benefit victims of the fire (28 June 2017)
- Crowdfunding appeals for Grenfell Tower fire victims raise £200k within hours (14 June 2017)
- National Emergencies Trust launches as a domestic version of the DEC (7 November 2019)
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.