11 Christmas Charity Appeals That Could Do With Your Support

Food banks are a lifeline for people who can no longer afford to feed themselves or their children. The Trussell Trust has launched its first emergency appeal as it’s facing the most challenging winter its food bank network has ever faced – for the first time, food banks are giving out more food than is being donated. To help keep these vital services running, the charity welcomes any donation, but £25 will provide emergency food, hot water bottles and essential toiletries for a person in financial crisis. Donations also ensure food banks have workers who are ready to provide information and support, helping people facing financial hardship to access the benefits and grants they’re entitled to. As well as cash donations, there are other ways you can help, from donating food supplies to setting up a monthly tax-free payroll scheme. 

Visit TrussellTrust.org

According to a recent study, around 800,000 children are living in poverty in the UK, with over half skipping breakfast daily because their parents can’t afford to feed them three meals a day. Skipping breakfast can lead to poorer school attendance, lower concentration in the classroom, and reduced wellbeing. Magic Breakfast partners with over 1,000 schools in England to help identify and reach those pupils at risk of hunger, offering free nutritious meals to thousands of children each day – including during the Christmas holidays. You can donate to the charity, fundraise with your friends or family, or campaign to help get legislation in place for underprivileged families.

Visit MagicBreakfast.com

As the war in Ukraine continues, so does the need for vital supplies and help on the ground throughout the country. There are a number of charities providing humanitarian relief, including British Red Cross, Save the Children and Unicef. Donating cash is one of the best ways to ensure the right help gets to those who need it, as it can be transferred to aid organisations that can buy the right items. Also, you can still sign up to the government’s sponsorship scheme to take a Ukrainian refugee into your home.

Visit Donation.DEC.org.uk

Many children may not be looking forward to Christmas, especially this year. Their parents might not have enough money to buy presents, or it could be their first Christmas away from their family. Book Trust has launched a special appeal to get as many books to children from disadvantaged backgrounds as possible over the festive period. Donations go towards Christmas book parcels for children who are vulnerable or in care. The charity has selected six hardback books appropriate for different ages, which will be sent to children along with a special letter, festive poster and bookmark. £10 will get a parcel to one child, but you can also print off charity posters and download a social media kit to help spread the word. 

Visit BookTrust.org.uk

One in eight girls and women in the UK experience period poverty every month, meaning they can’t afford or don’t have access to sanitary products. Right now, this also affects thousands of refugees and asylum seekers living in the UK. Bloody Good Period wants to eradicate that statistic by providing menstrual supplies to those who need it, providing sex and reproductive health education, and normalising the stigma around periods through conversation. As well as donating cash, you can volunteer with the charity to supply pads and tampons to those who really need them, or email your local MP to raise awareness for menstrual equity.

Visit BloodyGoodPeriod.com

Earlier in June, catastrophic floods swept through Pakistan, submerging a third of the country under water. Two million homes have been destroyed or damaged, 900 heath facilities have been lost, and 33 million people have been displaced, with a wave of diseases spreading through temporary camps, including malaria, dengue fever, diarrhoea and scabies. Aid agencies are working in challenging conditions to meet people’s basic needs such as food, clean water and shelter, and the government of Pakistan has called for international assistance to provide humanitarian aid. Any donations will go straight to the agencies who are providing on-the-ground care to millions of people across the country. 

Visit DEC.org.uk

Southall Black Sisters is a group of Black and minority women who campaign for women’s human rights in the UK. Although it’s based in London, the charity has a national reach, highlighting and challenging all forms of gender-related violence against women. The charity runs an advice, advocacy and resource centre in west London which provides a service to women experiencing violence, abuse and other forms of inequality. Women at risk can obtain specialist advice, information, counselling and self-help support services in several languages. Donations are particularly helpful for women without access to public funds. 

Visit SouthallBlackSisters.org.uk

One in five children in England don’t own a book, and a staggering quarter of all children left primary school last year without being able to read. Doorstep Library is a community-focused charity that brings the gifts of books and the joy of reading directly into the homes of children across London. You can donate cash or become a reading volunteer to visit five families at home, online, or on their doorstep, every week with backpacks full of books and two little stools. A great way to give back to your local community.

Visit DoorstepLibrary.org.uk

One of the smallest charities on this list, The Wave Project uses the power of the sea to improve the mental health of children and young people around the UK. It has over 6,000 volunteers who provide surf therapy every day of the year. Over the next week, it’s aiming to raise £44,000 to help young people aged 8 to 21, many of whom use its services during the summer months. Each young person is given the opportunity to participate in a specialised surf therapy session once a week for six weeks, whether they’re experiencing physical or mental health issues, social deprivation or social isolation. During the course, they’re supported through surfing to build confidence and self-esteem, develop resilience, and make friends.

Visit WaveProject.co.uk

London Friend is a mental health and wellbeing charity which helps those in the LGBTQ+ communities. It’s the oldest LGBTQ+ charity in the UK, but it relies on donations to fund its vital work, which includes one-to-one and group counselling sessions, drug and alcohol support, and help on coming out via peer support groups. It also has a community centre in King’s Cross where you can learn about the work or ask for help and advice. If you can’t donate, you can apply to be a volunteer counsellor or help raise awareness for events and fundraisers on social media. 

Visit LondonFriend.org.uk

One in four people with autism in the UK speak few or no words, while seven in ten have a mental health problem. Autistica is the UK’s leading autism research and campaigning charity, aiming to help those with autism lead happier, healthier, longer lives. It supports cutting-edge research on autism and related conditions, as well as developing new therapies and campaigning for better services and shaping national policy. If you want you find out more about autism in general, you can tune into the charity’s expert webinars and listen to its podcast before donating. 

Visit Autistica.org.uk