The Evening Standard's 2023 Winter Survival Appeal in partnership with Comic Relief raised more money for good causes than any other newspaper appeal in 2023, independent analysis by Civil Society Media Limited has revealed.
Our campaign raised £2.45million, beating out all competition on Fleet Street and showcasing the Evening Standard as the country's premier campaigning newspaper.
The Sunday Times and The Times, which raised £2.3million for Whizz Kidz, Feeding Britain and Street Child, came second and The Guardian and Observer, which raised £1.42million to support refugees and asylum seekers, was third.
Also-rans included the Telegraph, which raised £527,000 for several charities including Race Against Dementia, The Sun, which raised £100,000 for local baby banks in its Smiles at Christmas campaign, and the Daily Mirror, which raised just £5,000 for its Young Lives vs Cancer campaign.
Civil Society's Sam Wait said: "The Evening Standard's appeal with Comic Relief raised the most of any newspaper last year.
“Overall, newspapers raised £6.35million for their Christmas 2023 appeals, down from more than £8million the year before."
The general public contributed £225,000 to the Standard’s appeal, while large donors included Sainsbury’s, Julia and Hans Rausing, Jingle Jam, Burberry and TK Maxx.
Celebrities who pitched in included popstar Rita Ora, who visited Buttle UK, a campaign beneficiary, and West Ham stars Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, who visited another beneficiary, The Felix Project, as well as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The charities we helped included those supporting early childhood development and tackling food insecurity.
A spokesperson for the Chartered Institute of Fundraising said: “Giving slowed down [last year] across the board. The current economic climate has made things difficult for charities.”
On its own, the Evening Standard Comic Relief partnership accounted for almost 40 per cent of the total raised, testimony to the campaigning power of the partnership and the brands.
