National news brands help those in need during the holiday season.
2020 has been a difficult year.
The disruption caused by the pandemic has led to the loss of loved ones, jobs and livelihoods. And for many, Christmas couldn’t come at a worse time.
Take a look at some of the Christmas appeals the news brands will be supporting this year:
Daily Express: Feeding the hungry
For 50 years the St Giles trust has helped people who are experiencing poverty or are vulnerable, to build a better life for themselves. This year the Daily Express has teamed up with the charity, asking readers to help fund 50,000 meals and help hundreds of families out of food poverty.
Daily Mail: Uniting families at Christmas
Launched back in November, the news brand’s appeal led to a quick result. A change in policy in extending Covid-19 testing to care home visitors, came just days after the Daily Mail launched its Christmas campaign, which highlighted the devastating impact of the pandemic restrictions on the country’s 410,000 care home residents.
Daily Mirror: Saving a kids’ Christmas
The news brand’s ‘Save a kid’s Christmas’ campaign promises to make sure that no child goes hungry this festive season. The appeal builds on previous work the Daily Mirror has done throughout the year to highlight child poverty and calling on the government to increase child benefits.
Evening Standard & The Independent: Providing food for London now
Throughout the pandemic, the news brands vowed to fight food poverty in the capital. Now they have set a target of delivering 100 million meals annually to end hunger by 2024. In a letter to readers back in November, proprietor of the Evening Standard Evgeny Lebedev said: “The Evening Standard won’t give up on London. We know that you won’t either.”
i: Catering for hungry school children
This year, the i newspaper will partner with Magic Breakfast. The charity works together with 500 schools in deprived areas across the country to make sure that over 48,000 children begin their day with a nutritious meal.
The Guardian & The Observer: Aiding young people impacted by Covid-19
The two news brands have joined forces to support organisations that work together with young people, helping them and their families combat poverty. These include UK Youth, Young Minds, and Child Poverty Action Group, all of which have been struggling due to the pandemic as the need for their services have increased.
The Sun: Combatting loneliness this Christmas
In cooperation with the Together Campaign and the Royal Voluntary Service, the news brand launched ‘Christmas together’ to combat loneliness. The campaign is a recruitment drive to enlist an army of volunteers to support those feeling lonely and isolated this Christmas.
The Telegraph: Helping victims of domestic abuse, the bereaved, those impacted by cancer and carers
The news brand will back four charities that have been put under enormous pressure due to Covid-19. The charities are Refuge that helps domestic abuse victims, Carers UK providing practical support to carers, Cruse Bereavement Care to counsel those who are grieving and Macmillan Cancer Support. Its annual phone-in last Sunday raised an astonishing £124,000.
The Times & The Sunday Times: Supporting the hungry, young people and endangered wildlife
The two newspapers will focus their Christmas appeals on problems that have intensified due to the coronavirus pandemic – both at home and abroad. The first is FareShare that helps to tackle hunger and food waste, another is Sported that uses sport as a way to help young people overcome mental health struggles and disabilities and lastly, Tusk that protects endangered species across Africa.
