Readers Raise £700,000 for Telegraph’s Christmas Charity Appeal 2021

A grand total of £700,000 has been raised by Telegraph readers for The Telegraph’s Christmas Charity Appeal 2021 which supported charities continuing to cope with the impact of the pandemic on their work.

The annual Christmas Appeal helped four chosen charities: the UK’s leading dementia charity Alzheimer’s Society and the UK’s largest dog welfare charity Dogs Trust. Along with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award which helps young people build life-long belief in themselves and Maggie’s, a national charity which gives psychological and practical support to people with cancer from their centres across the UK. The Appeal launched on November 6 2021 and remained open until January 23 2022.

Throughout the Christmas period The Telegraph shared stories of those who had been helped and supported by each charity. The stories included how Alzheimer’s patients and their families continue their lives with dignity; the dogs who have been rescued from abuse to find loving homes; the young people offered a bright future by the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, and those diagnosed with cancer who have received vital help dealing with their diagnoses.

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

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. In 2020 the Telegraph raised over £2 million for charity thanks to readers supporting both the Christmas Appeal and the special Coronavirus Charity Appeal.

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 the setting up of the Edith Cavell Trust to help nurses impacted 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.