Newspaper Christmas appeals: Guardian & Observer pass £1.25mn, + more updates
Melanie May | 9 January 2023 | News
So far, more than 10,500 donors have given to the Guardian & Observer charity appeal, with the amount raised now over £1.25mn, in this its final week.
The Christmas 2022 charity appeal focuses on the cost-of-living crisis, with the Guardian and Observer working with Locality and Citizen’s Advice.
Money raised will be targeted at local voluntary organisations working in some of the UK’s most deprived areas, which are providing crisis support ranging from food banks and warm rooms to debt and housing advice and mental health help.
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Locality’s share of the money raised will go to support grassroots community groups across the country in the form of small grants. Citizens Advice will use its share of donations to support general services and innovative outreach work in some of the UK’s most deprived neighbourhoods. Through Locality, grants of up to £10,000 will be available to community organisations across the UK with the money raised distributed among Locality members, and members of DTA Scotland, DTNI and DTA Wales.
Readers still have a few days to add their donation to the appeal, which runs through to midnight on Sunday.
Elsewhere, the Independent and Evening Standard’s appeal raised £3.7mn before Christmas – including £1mn from Comic Relief. On the Breadline appeal received six-figure donations from Sainsbury’s, Amazon, Julia and Hans Rausing, British Airways, eBay and the TK Maxx & Homesense Foundation.
The founder of second charity partner The Childhood Trust, Grant Gordon pledged a six- figure donation, as did Neptune Energy and the Duke of Westminster. Readers contributed over £100,000.
The Telegraph’s appeal runs until the end of the month, and supports Action for Children, Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Royal British Legion Industries. It is also highlighting the cost of living crisis and its impact. Age UK has today (9 January) announced that it too has received a donation from Julia and Hans Rausing, of £200,000, as part of the appeal. The charity said that the Rausings were particularly moved by a story about how the its national Advice Line is supporting older people who are struggling the most with challenges in accessing social care and making ends meet.
Commenting, the Rausings said:
“We are supporting Age UK, inspired by The Telegraph’s Christmas Charity Appeal, and in response to the one million older people who had nobody to spend the festive period with last year. The whole country experienced loneliness and isolation during the pandemic and sadly that is a daily reality for many of the older generation.
“The cost of living crisis has meant Age UK’s helplines are seeing record demand this winter. Their helplines are ‘a light in the wilderness’ for thousands and we hope others join us to support Age UK and The Telegraph Christmas Appeal.”
The Mirror’s Warm Hearts Christmas Appeal has so far raised 90% of its £100,000 target. The appeal runs until the end of the month, and is raising funds for the Warm Welcome project. This provides community spaces where people can stay safe and warm with donations raised helping pay for the cost of heating the buildings and, where possible, provide food, hot drinks and toys for children. The project is powered by a coalition of charities, coordinated by the Good Faith Foundation.
More on 2022’s newspaper Christmas appeals here.
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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.