St Albans Postboxes
Fundraising group St Albans Postboxes creates handmade yarn postbox toppers each year and places them across St Albans to raise money for charity. The group has raised £64,000 for local charities since 2018.
This year, the campaign is raising money for Youth Talk, a charity which provides counselling to 13–25-year-olds in St Albans, and ADD-vance, a local charity that supports families affected by ADHD and Autism. £12,000 has been raised by 3 December 2021 alone.
The festive postbox toppers feature Santa being stuck down a chimney, a gingerbread house and a Nativity scene.
Age UK – Make Christmas a Little Brighter
Age UK’s Make Christmas a Little Brighter Campaign explains how Christmas, for lonely older people, can be the “darkest, loneliest time of the year”.
Age UK’s research found that almost 1.5 million over 65’s said they usually feel lonelier at Christmas than any other time of year.
Therefore, they are using the campaign to raise awareness of the charity’s Age UK Telephone Friendship Service, where an elderly person can have a friendly chat with someone over the phone. More than 22,000 friendship calls were made during the Christmas period last year.
Age UK also offers an Advice Line for the elderly, which sees rises in calls during the Christmas period. Age UK is asking for donations to support these services. Celebrities Dame Helen Mirren, Len Goodman and Dev Griffin are ambassadors of the campaign.
Heart Research UK – A Healthy Heart Christmas campaign
This year, Heart Research UK is imploring the public to “Keep Santa Heart Healthy” because the risk of heart attack increases 15% at this time of year.
To fundraise for the campaign, Heart Research UK has partnered with card company thortful to create limited edition, hand-illustrated Christmas cards.
The charity aims to spread awareness of the dangers of heart-related illness in the winter months, as Seasonal Awareness Disorder, diet and stress changes can increase a person’s risk of heart problems.
Heart attack risk rises by 15% at Christmas time.
— Heart Research UK (@heartresearchuk) December 1, 2021
Our #HealthyHeartChristmas campaign, aims to increase the understanding around the risk of heart disease over the winter months.
Find out more here:https://t.co/HQE8tDIvIT pic.twitter.com/LZUV3WydZm
Barnardo’s - Kidmas campaign
Barnardo’s Kidmas campaign highlights that despite Christmas being the best time of year for most little ones, many children are living in poverty, have mental health issues or are unable to enjoy the festive season due to their family circumstances.
As part of the campaign, Barnardo’s is asking its patrons to purchase virtual gifts to give disadvantaged children a Christmas to remember.
Its fundraising challenge Race Santa is also part of the campaign. Participants were encouraged to run 24 miles in 24 days to raise money for the charity. At the time of writing, Race Santa has 662 supporters and has raised £9,638 for Barnardo’s.
RSPCA - Christmas Rescue
RSPCA shared a harrowing video which shows a lockdown puppy being abandoned at Christmas, to launch its Christmas Rescue campaign to help more animals in need. The charity notes that many animals will be abandoned, cold or being treated cruelly this Christmas.
As well as encouraging donations, RSPCA has created a bespoke line of Christmas Rescue merchandise which is adorned with an image of warm, happy animals to raise money for its campaign.
Dementia UK – Remember a Star this Christmas
Dementia UK is keeping it virtual this Christmas with its Remember a Star campaign. Patrons are asked to create a star to put on a virtual Christmas tree remembering a loved one and donate to the Christmas appeal to see it appear on the tree. Others can then search for your star.
The donations received will fund the charity’s Admiral Nurses service, who are specialist nurses who provide support for families affected by dementia.
TOWIE star Georgia Kousoulou supported the campaign and created a star for her grandma YiaYia.
Save the Children – Christmas Jumper Day
Save the Children’s ninth annual Christmas Jumper Day took place on Friday 10 December, where across the UK people wore festive jumpers to raise money for charity.
Save the Children calculated that 4.3 million people wore a Christmas jumper for the campaign this year, with the fundraising total to be announced later.
Make-A-Wish - Light up the Darkness campaign
In a sobering Christmas advert narrated by David Walliams, Make-A-Wish shows how children living with critical illnesses are robbed of their innocence after diagnosis. They implore patrons to put some magic back in these children’s lives by donating to the Light up the Darkness campaign.
In this month's issue of Fundraising Magazine the main feature looks at how fundraisers have created hybrid campaigns this year
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