With Christmas appeals an annual tradition across the news brand industry, Newsworks looks at how publishers are helping those in need this festive season
The Times and The Sunday Times are once again joining forces to encourage donations to three causes this year: Street Child, an organisation working in the world’s most disaster-affected countries to help children into education; Whizz Kids, a charity helping young wheelchair users to get the support they need to go further in life; and Feeding Britain, supporting the millions in Britain affected by food poverty. What is more, the news brands’ commercial partners are matching readers’ donations pound for pound up to tens of thousands of pounds.
The Telegraph is also supporting multiple campaigns this year, asking readers to get behind the four chosen charities in 2023’s appeal. These range from palliative care charity Marie Curie and air force veterans’ organisation The RAF Benevolent Fund to the research organisation Race Against Dementia and the small charity Go Beyond, a children’s charities providing respite care to young people who are carers for their parents or guardians.
Meanwhile, the Mirror and the Sunday Mirror are supporting Young Lives vs Cancer for their joint Christmas Appeal. All month, Mirror readers can learn about the support the charity provides to young people dealing with cancer and their families, with the campaign supported by stars such as TV presenter Gaby Roslin.
The Express is also supporting young people this year through its collaboration with Mary’s Meals, nourishing future generations in some of the world’s poorest countries. The charity makes sure every schoolchild in the areas it serves has access to a bowl of porridge every morning, improving their chances in life and their potential to follow their ambitions.
Elsewhere, the Evening Standard’s appeal builds on campaigns from previous years, once again fighting food and heat poverty in its Winter Survival Appeal. With 4,000 dying in the UK because they had to choose to eat rather than heat their homes. With many still needing support in 2023, the news brand has once again partnered with Comic Relief to make a difference this winter.
Also hoping those in poverty this winter, The Independent’s 2023 campaign supports Zarach, a Leeds-based charity buying beds for children in need. With the number of children sleeping without beds more than doubling over the last six years, the news brand is calling on readers to donate money going towards bed bundles: a child’s bed and mattress, a duvet and pillow, bed linen, a hygiene kit, pyjamas, a reading book and a £30 supermarket voucher for a family Christmas meal.
Last but not least, The Guardian and the Observer’s joint appeal focusses on the urgent attention needed by refugees to help them settle into their new local communities. Supporting three UK-based refugee and asylum charities, the appeal is aiming to help those fleeing persecution make positive contributions to British society and connect those in desperate need for accommodation with those able to help.
