Julia Rausing Trust announces £5.4mn of grants in annual Christmas giving campaign
Melanie May | 17 December 2024 | News
72 charities across the country have received grants as part of Julia Rausing Trust’s £5.4 million annual seasonal giving campaign this winter.
Causes include homelessness, financial hardship, and women and children in need. This year the Trust also focused on charities supporting their local communities with 64 of the 72 grants made to regional causes in Gloucestershire, east Cheshire and London.
Advertisement
Recipients of the largest grants include:
- Buttle UK’s Chances for Children Grant Programme, which is raising £10 million to close the education gap for children in poverty and crisis
- Women’s Aid’s Emergency Fund For Survivor, which works to end domestic abuse against women and children
- St Martin’s in the Field Charity’s Vicar’s Relief Fund, which provides emergency financial support so that people in vulnerable situations can find and keep a safe place to live.
- Comic Relief’s A Place to Call Home Appeal with the Evening Standard, which supports people experiencing homelessness.
Simon Fourmy, Director of the Julia Rausing Trust commented:
“Helping the vulnerable and homeless was always an important part of Julia Rausing’s giving, especially in the winter months when need is particularly acute. This year marks the largest Christmas series of grants made by the Trust with 72 charities selected across the country with an emphasis on providing support to local communities.
“The 2024 Christmas seasonal giving is now in its sixth consecutive year and we are pleased to continue this campaign through the new Trust bearing Julia Rausing’s name.”
Analiese Doctrove, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Buttle UK said:
“This funding will enable us to continue providing vital support to children and young people facing poverty and crisis across the UK. By empowering vulnerable families with the resources they need to rebuild their lives, we are not only alleviating immediate hardship but also creating pathways to long-term stability and opportunity. The Julia Rausing Trust’s commitment to supporting this work will have a lasting impact, helping us reach more children in need and drive meaningful change for future generations.”
Separately, last week, Julia Rausing Trust also announced £16.7mn for UK cathedrals, botanic gardens, museums and galleries, and a £5 million donation to Age UK to help tackle loneliness amongst older people.
The Age UK donation is to help fund the charity’s friendship services over the next two years. The sum will enable the charity to answer more than 58,000 calls to its Silver Line Helpline, match over 3,100 older people with Age UK befrienders to receive weekly calls through the Age UK’s national Telephone Friendship Service, and fund community-based befriending programmes delivered by 20 local Age UK’s across the country.
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.