Generous HELLO! readers have helped raise a record-breaking £33m – in just one week! – after joining charities and celebrities to back a Christmas campaign.
Big Give, the UK’s leading match-funding organisation, founded by philanthropist Sir Alec Reed, last week announced its Christmas Challenge had smashed its £30m target, bringing much-needed funds to more than 1,000 charities. Almost half the money raised will go to those who need it most – small concerns with an annual income of less than £1m.
hello! helped spread the word about the appeal, which ran from 28 November until 5 December: donations made through the Big Give platform were matched pound for pound, doubling the amount raised with donations from companies and philanthropists.
As media partner, HELLO! published interviews with famous names including Sarah, Duchess of York – who appealed for donations to Ruddi's Retreat, a respite facility for families dealing with cancer treatment – and Dame Shirley Bassey, who is patron of Noah's Ark Children's Hospital Charity, which saw its coffers boosted by more than £100,000.
Other famous faces on board included Dame Joanna Lumley, Alan Carr, Miquita Oliver, Larry Lamb, Jenny Agutter, Kate Humble, Jason Watkins and Megan McCubbin.
Last week, comedienne Ruby Wax was among those celebrating at Big Give's Christmas party after Frazzled Café, the charity she founded to provide a safe space for people feeling overwhelmed by life, received more than £80,000 in donations.
Big Give managing director Alex Day said: “We’ve been blown away by people’s generosity, smashing last year’s record by £4.5m. It is quite extraordinary. Behind every £1 raised and every target hit are stories of incredible, life-changing, heart-warming impact delivered by our 1,077 charity partners.
The donations they’ve received will make such a massive difference, especially as they are facing the hardships of the cost-of-living crisis. HELLO!'s support was magnificent and we know it had an impact because all the charities that HELLO! featured hit their fundraising targets. From everyone at Big Give, a big thank you to everyone at HELLO!."
