# Christmas Challenge awards winners announced - Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/02/28/christmas-challenge-awards-winners-announced/ - Published: 2018-02-28T09:02:45+00:00 - Author: Melanie May **Aurora Orchestra has been crowned the winner of the 2017 Big Give Christmas Challenge Awards, after its Big Give campaign beat its £15,000 target by raising over £44,000.** The Awards received over 100 applications and recognise the best performing of the hundreds of charities that take part in the [Big Give](https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/) [Christmas Challenge](https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/christmas-challenge/) each year. In first place, [Aurora Orchestra](http://www.auroraorchestra.com/) received £3,000, followed by £2,000 for South London Cares in second place, and £1,000 for Friends of Ibba Girls School, South Sudan, which took third place. Other awards included Small Charity Award, won by [Junction 42](https://www.junction42.org/), UK Charity Award, won by Action for M.E., and Supporter Engagement Award, which went to East African Playgrounds. Each won £1,000. ## Advertisement [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/) > So proud that our [#ChristmasChallenge17](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristmasChallenge17?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > for our schools' programme has won top prize in [@BigGive](https://twitter.com/BigGive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > awards! Huge thanks to all of you who donated, helping us bring live music to > more children from all backgrounds! Congrats to all the amazing winning charities > [https://t.co/Yk8ewc2SLm](https://t.co/Yk8ewc2SLm) [pic.twitter.com/xtsMZTRHdH](https://t.co/xtsMZTRHdH) > — Aurora Orchestra (@auroraorchestra) [February 16, 2018](https://twitter.com/auroraorchestra/status/964541944046280705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) Sir Alec Reed CBE, Founder of the Big Give, chaired the panel. He said: > “The winners are excellent examples of charities going above and beyond to create > compelling and inspiring campaigns to help them maximise the fundraising opportunity > offered by the Christmas Challenge. We want to celebrate their hard work and creativity > and the Reed Foundation is pleased to award additional funds to all of the Christmas > Challenge Award winners to support their important work.” The Christmas Challenge 2018 will run from midday on #GivingTuesday (27 November) to midday on Tuesday 4 December. Applications will open on Monday 21 May and charities can [register their interest](https://www.thebiggive.org.uk/christmas-challenge/) on the site. * **[Applications now open for Big Give Christmas Challenge](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/05/21/applications-now-open-big-give-christmas-challenge/)**( 21 May 2018) * **[The Childhood Trust’s Summer Give raises over £1 million](https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/06/25/childhood-trusts-summer-give-raises-1m/)**( 25 June 2018) * **[Big Give Christmas Challenge application deadline extended to 19 July](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/07/09/big-give-christmas-challenge-application-deadline-extended-to-19-july/)**( 9 July 2019) ![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader- 2x.gif)