Christmas campaign round-up: Standard and Indy food appeal hits £10m
£10 million has been raised in a joint campaign by the Evening Standard and Independent to tackle food poverty over the past nine months.
Twenty million meals have been distributed from funds raised by ESI Media titles and food redistribution charity the Felix Project to assist Londoners worst affected by the coronavirus crisis.
On the campaign reaching its target on Friday (December 18), proprietor Evgeny Lebedev said the papers aimed to not only report on the facts but make a difference with a “lasting commitment to tackling hunger in our capital”.
With the support of readers, celebrities and philanthropists, the Felix Project has increased its operations from distributing 20,000 meals to 100,000 meals per day.
“Our journalists have travelled the length and breadth of the city, shining a light on the people and organisations doing their bit to help local communities,” Lebedev said.
Some of London’s most iconic landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral, the National Gallery and Piccadilly Circus were lit up with symbols of gratitude to thank the public for supporting the campaign.
How the UK’s national and regional titles have encouraged readers to support Christmas appeals this year:
Newspapers have covered the economic and personal hardships of many affected by the Covid-19 crisis up and down the country this year. In respect of this, titles are now rallying the support of readers to support charitable causes this festive season.
The Times and Sunday Times Christmas appeal hits £1.6m following donation from tycoon
A £300k donation from a British businessman has boosted the Times and Sunday Times Christmas appeal total to more than £1.6 million.
Matthew Moulding, founder of Hut Group, donated funds to support the appeal to be split equally between the three beneficiary charities: FareShare, Sported and Tusk which tackle issues made more acute by the Covid-19 pandemic.
i’s Magic Breakfast appeal
The i paper is this year supporting a campaign to help guarantee underprivileged children a healthy, nourishing meal every morning.
In partnership with Magic Breakfast, the charity works with nearly 500 schools in disadvantaged areas of England and Scotland to ensure children start the day of learning well-nourished.
The paper previously partnered with the charity in 2017, raising £175,000 from readers for the cause.
The Sun
Has launched its Christmas Together campaign teaming up with community groups and organisations to help readers take steps to reverse the loneliness epidemic.
The Telegraph
The Telegraph is raising money for four charities this year: Refuge, Carers UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cruse Bereavement Care.
Last week the Society reported that the Telegraph’s annual phone-in day where columnists and reporters took donations from the public raised more than £124,000 for the cause.
Daily Express
Teaming with food charity St Giles, the campaign this year aims to provide 50,000 meals across the UK to people who would otherwise be facing hunger and desperation over the festive period.
Daily Mail
Campaigning to allow families to see loved ones in care homes this Christmas, the Mail’s appeal this year saw intervention from the government to step up rapid Covid-19 testing to allow visits.
Daily Mirror
Save the Children UK is the Mirror’s fundraising partner this Christmas where readers are donating funds to buy gifts for vulnerable children who would normally go without.
The partnership is also offering Christmas meals to disadvantaged families.
Financial Times
Following 15 years of seasonal appeals for chosen charities – raising more than £19.5m from readers – the FT this Christmas has launched a financial literacy and inclusion campaign.
The campaign’s mission is to bridge the gap in financial literacy alongside launching a new charitable foundation to ensure the information reaches people who need it most.
The Guardian and Observer
The sister titles are partnering with organisations that support young people whose lives have been impacted by Covid-19. Charities receiving readers’ funds are: UK Youth, Young Minds and the Child Poverty Action Group.
Birmingham Mail
The Mail’s news site BirminghamLive initiated a buy a gift campaign for thousands of children who face Christmas without a proper home this year.
The Grant-a-Christmas #Brumwish campaign reached its target on Wednesday (December 16) with 3,337 gifts bought from donations of over £53,000.
The Courier and Press and Journal
Last week the Society reported how the titles owned by DC Thomson in Scotland are to provide care homes and hospitals with newspapers over Christmas.
Some 25,000 copies of the Courier and Press and Journal are to be donated in a partnership with BT to combat loneliness and keep people connected with their local communities.
Manchester Evening News
Local children’s charity Wood Street Mission is this year’s Christmas campaign from the Manchester Evening News, which has encouraged readers to donate new toys and gifts.
Bolton News
The Bolton News is also focusing on a toy fundraising campaign to ensure underprivileged children in town receive gifts this festive season. The appeal launched by the paper’s new editor Steve Thompson hit the campaign’s £30,000 target in just a month.