Readers raise £726,000 for the annual Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal

A grand total of £726,000 has been raised by readers for The Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal 2022. 

Each of our four charities – Age UK, Action for Children, Macmillan Cancer Support and Royal British Legion Industries – have been overwhelmed by the support they have received from generous Telegraph readers.

“At Macmillan we rely almost entirely on public donations to continue our range of vital services for people with cancer,” said Kate Goldman-Toomey, Director of Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy at Macmillan. “The enormous generosity of the general public shown throughout the Telegraph Appeal will help to ensure we can continue doing whatever it takes to give people the support they need, when they need it most.” 

This year’s appeal highlighted the impact of the cost of living crisis on the invaluable work of our chosen charity partners. 

We told the stories of the unsung heroes of the foster-care system who’ve worked with Action For Children to help dozens of young people get a good start in life, along with the projects helping teenagers with mental health anxieties following the pandemic. 

Melanie Armstrong, chief executive of Action for Children, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the huge generosity of the Telegraph readers and are immensely grateful for their support.  At the moment, the soaring cost of living crisis has put unprecedented strains on many of the vulnerable children and families our frontline workers see on a daily basis. These funds will help us provide critical support.”

Since the launch, we’ve cast a light on the veterans who’ve courageo¯usly fought for our country but needed a little help to re-engage with civilian life, and explored the immense efforts of other veterans to help their comrades make that adjustment, through the RBLI. Chief Executive Lisa Farmer said, “The Telegraph have made sure that veteran voices are heard, especially Armed Forces veterans who are overcoming homelessness, injury and mental health crisis.”

We focused on the dedication the Age UK team has shown to combat social isolation in the older generation wracked by pandemic lockdowns, including long-distance friendship schemes. 

Our story on Age UK’s national advice line prompted billionaire philanthropists Julia and Hans Rausing to make a special donation of £200,000 to help support their vital work. 

Paul Farmer, CEO at Age UK, said:  “Winter is always a difficult time for those who are vulnerable, isolated or struggling with money or poor health. Funds donated to Age UK by The Telegraph’s readers will help us to be here for older people during these particularly challenging times. And from the bottom of my heart I want to thank each and every one of you for your generosity.”  

The Telegraph Christmas Charity Appeal has been running for more than 100 years, and started in its current format in 1986. We have raised close to £30 million for charities since its launch. This year’s total is the second highest in the last ten years after the £852k raised during covid in 2020.

Chris Evans, editor of The Telegraph, said: “Many thanks to our Telegraph readers who have once again generously donated to our Christmas Charity Appeal. The substantial amount raised will make a real difference to the lives of so many, during a time of great challenges, and support the vital work of this year’s selected charities.”