Guardian and Observer appeal raises more than £1.5m

Patrick Butler, social policy editor at the Guardian, has reported that more than £1.5m has been raised for the Guardian and Observer’s appeal in aid of grassroots charities working on the frontline of the cost of living crisis in some of the UK’s most deprived communities.

Donations to the appeal, which closed at midnight on Sunday evening, will be shared between the two charity partners, Citizens Advice and Locality, enabling them to invest in local services from emergency food banks and warm rooms to debt and housing advice, and mental health help, says the publisher.

A total of £1,557,000, inclusive of estimated gift aid, was raised over the 38-day campaign, making it the most successful Guardian and Observer charity appeal since 2016. More than 13,400 people donated, including several hundred readers who phoned in their donation at the annual journalists’ telethon held in December.

The Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, said: “This year’s charity campaign has been truly inspiring in highlighting essential work being done all around the country in such challenging times. Thank you to the readers of the Guardian and Observer for their generosity, which means that more brilliant work will be done by brilliant people to hold their communities together.”

The enterprise and commitment of the appeal partners in responding to the hardship and poverty faced by local communities has been highlighted in a series of articles and an ‘Anywhere But Westminster’ short film over the past month focusing on the work of their members and branches UK-wide.

Clare Moriarty, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “The generosity shown by Guardian and Observer readers during this year’s appeal is simply amazing. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has supported the campaign.”

She added: “Each and every day our advisers help provide a life raft to people who can no longer afford to heat their homes and put food on the table. The support given to this year’s appeal is testament to their work and crucially will enable us to continue to be there for people facing impossible choices.”

Tony Armstrong, the chief executive of Locality, said: “It’s been amazing to see the extent to which this appeal has resonated with Guardian and Observer readers. The work of local community organisations has too often been undervalued or ignored.

“Locality members don’t have massive budgets. What they do have is local knowledge, trust in their communities, and the tenacity to make things happen when others have written off their neighbourhoods. These are the vital skills that community organisations possess and your support will help ensure they are not lost.”

The Guardian and Observer say it is the eighth year in a row that their annual charity appeal has raised more than £1m. Recent appeal causes have included climate justice, coronavirus and young people, Windrush and immigration injustice, and refugees.