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2017 Big Give Christmas Challenge round up

Melanie May

Melanie May | 12 December 2017 | News

This year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge raised over £11 million for good causes, with 528 charities participating and over 200 sharing the total. Here’s a round up of what some of the charities involved achieved.

The Passage

The Passage

The charity that topped the list with the most raised was The Passage, a homeless charity helping those on the streets of Westminster. Part of the charity’s work involves the homeless secure a job, For around £600 a month, The Passage pays for B&B accommodation until the individual receives their first pay check. Over the week, The Passage raised £233,334 via the Big Give, which could potentially take 389 people sleeping rough, off the streets. The Passage’s current campaign, Look the Other Way, shows people what it is like to be homeless through the use of virtual reality.
 

The Childhood Trust

The Childhood Trust has announced that a record £1,553,662 was raised for 58 London charities by this year’s campaign. This was the fifth year The Childhood Trust had teamed up with The Big Give in the Christmas Challenge to raise funds for charities supporting disadvantaged children in London. Charities supported by The Childhood Trust include The Cardinal Hume Centre, which has received £112,081, Jamie’s Farm (£109,256), West London Action for Children (£41,795), The Children’s Literacy Charity (£25,932) and School Home Support (£16,219).
Laurence Guinness, Chief Executive of The Childhood Trust said:

“The Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign is going from strength to strength in helping charities to deliver much needed support and services. Disadvantaged children in London are struggling to cope with increasing levels of poverty so the funds raised are vital to the 58 charity participants that are supporting children all over London.”
 

Jamie’s Farm

Over the course of the challenge Jamie’s Farm raised £109,256. Jamie Feilden, Founder and CEO said:

“The Big Give has been instrumental for Jamie’s Farm – last year’s success saw us raise the funds to get our new farm fit for purpose, and now we hope to raise enough to cover the therapeutic activities with all 1200 children who will visit Jamie’s Farm in the next year. The impact of the Big Give has been huge, not just raising funds but raising awareness too – opening new doors for us, which has been especially important during a time of growth for Jamie’s Farm. We are constantly amazed how our supporters engage in the campaign, knowing their gifts will go twice as far is a great incentive to support the work we’re doing.”
 

Action for M.E.

Action for M.E. raised the second highest amount throughout the seven-day campaign, achieving a total of £121,116. This year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign was the charity’s biggest so far. Its London Marathon team raised £28,860, while its Ride London team topped £10,660, the highest they had ever raised in this event. The money will help fund its information and support services for people affected by M.E., including its forums for children with M.E. and their parents, which help them feel better supported and less isolated. Bella Whately, Senior Fundraiser, Action for M.E. says:

“We are absolutely thrilled and immensely grateful to have surpassed all our expectations for the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2017, having reached our match-funding target in less than 48 hours. The difference this will make to the people with M.E. that we support is significant, and it means we can be there for even more children, families and adults affected by this devastating neurological condition.”
 
joanna lumley Lepra

Lepra

Lepra raised over £32,000 in the Big Give Christmas Challenge with help from celebrity supporters including Joanna Lumley, Joseph Fiennes, Jo Brand, Sir Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry. The money raised will support Lepra’s ‘Women = Change’ appeal to help support women in Bangladesh who struggle with access to treatment for leprosy.
 

Water Survival Box

Water Survival Box raised over £26,000. This will pay for around 177 of its boxes, which are distributed to families who have lost everything, and include a water filter and pump, household items and survival tools.
 

Age Connects Cardiff

Age Connects Cardiff exceeded its £2000 target, raising £4000 through matched funds. It is putting the donations towards training more volunteers to support older people, providing transport and company.
 

Street Invest

Street Invest hit its £6,000 target, giving it £12,000 through matching. StreetInvest is raising money to fund its partnership with Glad’s House, its local partner organisation in Mombasa, Kenya. Glad’s House has been working on the streets of Mombasa to support street-connected children and youth since 2006 and we have worked with together since 2015. In 2018, the charity is embarking on its most ambitious campaign to date, supporting Glad’s House to develop and lead a network of street work organisations in Mombasa, with the ambitious aim to reach all 3,000 street children living on the city’s streets.
 

Chailey Heritage Foundation

The Chailey Heritage Foundation beat its £10,000 target to raise £11,371. It currently has no useable, indoor space large enough for its young people to take part in group activities such wheelchair sport and drama and performance and was fundraising to build its Dream Centre, which will give young people with complex disabilities a modern and accessible space with a large indoor sports court.
 

SeeAbility

This year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge proved to be one of the biggest yet for SeeAbility. The disability charity smashed its £50,000 target to raise £56,000. Every penny of this will fund a brand-new service offering vital support to young people and families affected by juvenile Batten disease (JBD), a rare and life-limiting disease affecting the nervous system. The Outreach Service will be based at Heather House, SeeAbility’s specialist nursing care home in Hampshire for young people with JBD, and will be delivered in partnership with the Batten Disease Family Association.

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Melanie May

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.

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