The Telegraph has revealed its readers have raised over £2 million for charities in 2020.

The substantial funds will make a “real difference” to the lives of thousands, Telegraph editor Chris Evans has said.

The paper’s Christmas Appeal raised a total of £836,691.86 to support four charities suffering from the knock-on effects of Covid-19, while readers also donated over £1.2 million for the Coronavirus Charity Appeal in the summer.

The Christmas Charity Appeal – which ran until the end of January 2021 – supported Refuge, Carers UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Cruse Bereavement Care, all of which saw a big increase in demand for their services as a consequence of the Covid crisis.

Similarly, the Telegraph’s Coronavirus Charity Appeal raised funds for financial support charity Turn2us – which set up a special crisis fund to provide emergency grants of £500 to families who had been hit the hardest during the pandemic.

Over 2,610 households received crisis grants and the charity’s helpline service was able to open in the evenings and on Saturdays as a result of Telegraph readers’ donations.

Chris Evans, Editor of The Telegraph said: “This is a fantastic achievement by Telegraph readers. Their generosity during such a difficult year is truly heart-warming. The substantial amount raised will make a real difference to the lives of thousands.”

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Picture: Telegraph columnist Richard Madeley taking calls as part of the Christmas Appeal (credit Jeff Gilbert).