Big Give’s Christmas Challenge raises £57.4mn in a week
Howard Lake | 9 December 2025 | News
Big Give’s Christmas Challenge has repeated its achievement last year as “Britain’s biggest public fundraiser” after raising over £57.4 million in one week.
This year’s Christmas Challenge increased its total by 28% compared to the 2024 week-long campaign.
This year, 1,591 charities too part in the seven-day match funding campaign which finished at midday today.
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Record-breaking match funds
The campaign was boosted this year by an even higher total of match funding that was donated in advance of the public campaign by its ‘Champion partners’. These are philanthropists, foundations and companies who donate money to help inspire the public to donate, knowing that their donations will be doubled. Together they donated £25.8 million.
Champion partners, some of whom support the campaign year after year, included The Reed Foundation, The Childhood Trust, The Reed Educational Trust Ltd, The Coles-Medlock Foundation, The Julia Rausing Trust, Monday Charitable Trust, AKO Foundation, BeauxArtz, Shanly Foundation, The Symondson Foundation, Candis Club, PlanAid, and AESSEAL.
This week’s campaign saw over 152,000 people donate to one or more of the charities taking part.
The total raised by the Christmas Challenge has now grown to surpass established fundraising campaigns such as Children in Need and Comic Relief.
At a time when many organisations are facing sustained financial strain, the collective effort of public donors and Champions will help charities meet urgent needs, support vulnerable communities and manage heightened demand for their services.
Total to date: £427 million
The success of the campaign takes the total raised by Big Give to date to £427 million.
James Reed, Chair of the Trustees of Big Give, commented:
“We are immensely proud that this year’s Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest public fundraiser for a second year running.
“We set ambitious goals, but the response has surpassed our highest expectations with £57.4 million raised for over 1,500 charities taking part. I’m deeply grateful to every donor and to our Champions for doubling the difference once again.
“At a time when many charities are under immense pressure, the impact that this support will have cannot be overstated”.
He paid tribute to his father, Sir Alec Reed, the founder of Big Give, who died on Giving Tuesday, the first day of the campaign. He added:
“Big Give was founded around his belief that generosity is contagious. Seeing the results of this year’s collective effort, particularly after we asked people to make donations in his memory, is a remarkable testament to his vision and his legacy.
“Big Give now aims to take forward the incredible work that Sir Alec started and raise a total of £1 billion by 2030.”
Actress Michelle Collins, Ambassador for the theatre company Chickenshed, which has reached its fundraising target of £42,000, said:
“Big Give is a brilliant way to make charitable donations go twice as far, and the generosity shown by those who supported our campaign will enable us to reach the children and young people who need us most. Match funding is transformational; it gives every donor the chance to make twice the difference, and that’s something incredibly special.
“We’re so grateful to everyone who chose to support Chickenshed and to the Champions whose generosity makes this campaign possible. Big Give continues to be a powerful force for good, and it’s wonderful to see its impact grow year after year.”
Broadcaster, barrister and author Rob Rinder, president of the Orion Orchestra, which raised £10,045, said:
“Orion Orchestra was created to give outstanding young musicians the vital bridge between music college and professional life, a place where they can be challenged, mentored and inspired, while bringing orchestral music to audiences who might never otherwise experience it. An orchestra is, at its heart, a powerful act of collective imagination; individual voices joining in harmony to create something none of us could achieve alone.
“The support raised through the Big Give Christmas Challenge does far more than fund performances; it invests in the next generation’s capacity to make meaning, beauty and truth in a world that desperately needs all three. It gives young players the chance to feel the electricity of performing in a vibrant orchestra, to take their first courageous steps into professional careers and to share that energy with communities across the country. Match funding turns generosity into something genuinely transformative, and this year’s response has been extraordinary. My deepest thanks to everyone whose support has helped make this possible.”
Other well-known supporters, including Gary Lineker, Dame Imelda Staunton and Dame Prue Leith, starred in this year’s campaign video:
Other celebrity supporters shared their support of charities participating in the campaign via social media, including Lorraine Kelly, Eddie Marsan, Dame Darcey Bussell, Dame Judi Dench, Alan Carr, Carol Vorderman, Deborah Meaden, Sally Dynevor, Stephen Mangan, Lily James, Mark Bonnar and many more.
You can see how the participating charities benefited from the campaign at Big Give.
- Big Give Christmas Challenge raises record £33 million in a week (6 December 2023)
- Big Give Christmas Challenge raises record £28.6 million (6 December 2022)
- Inaugural Big Give Arts for Impact campaign launches (19 March 2024)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.