The Daily Telegraph

2023 Christmas Charity Appeal

2024

Four charities were supported by the Telegraph’s Christmas Appeal in 2023. Race Against Dementia which funds and trains researchers, accelerating progress towards prevention and a cure for dementia and the RAF Benevolent Fund which is the RAF’s leading welfare charity helping serving personnel, veterans and their families with practical, emotional and financial support. Along with Marie Curie, the UK’s leading end of life charity which provides expert hospice care, support over the phone, and campaigns for a better end of life for all, and Go Beyond which gives countryside breaks to children and young people facing serious challenges in their lives.

A grand total of £527,351.11 was raised by generous readers, plus billionaire philanthropists Julia and Hans Rausing donated £25,000 to both the RAF Benevolent Fund and Go Beyond, after reading about the charities’ work in The Telegraph.

Throughout the Christmas period The Telegraph shared stories of those who have been helped and supported by each charity. The stories included how vulnerable children have benefitted from the support and fun provided; heroes of the care system who ensure their patients are able to die in comfort and dignity; the assistance given to RAF service members and their families to ensure they can live in comfort and the efforts of scientists focused on finding a cure for dementia. 

The Rausings’ donations followed the Telegraph’s charity phone-in day which saw over 1000 callers pledge money. Sir Jackie Stewart, Anneka Rice and Richard Madeley were among the celebrities manning the phone lines – along with Telegraph writers who helped to raise £96,195.43 in a single day.

Sir Jackie, who set up Race Against Dementia after his wife, Helen, was diagnosed with the condition, said: “It’s very touching talking to people on the phone who are also affected by dementia.

“I want someone to find a cure for dementia in my lifetime, so we need to fund young people to do PhDs and research for that to happen.”

Other high-profile names who offered support were Florence Pugh, Jenny Agutter, Paul Chuckle, Alison Steadman, Kate Winslet and Sir James Dyson, who were interviewed or penned op-eds as part of the appeal.

The Telegraph’s annual Christmas Charity Appeal started in its current format in 1986 and has raised close to £30 million for charities since its launch.

Telegraph readers have a long history of fundraising including in 1915 for a monument for nurse Edith Cavell, which can be found outside St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, just off Trafalgar Square, as well as setting up the Cavell Nurses’ Trust to help nurses affected by their war work. In 1916, during the First World War, Telegraph readers’ donations helped supply three million rations of plum pudding for British soldiers on Christmas Day.