The Independent’s Christmas appeal hits £3.2m to help families on the breadline

The Independent’s Christmas Appeal to help people on the breadline cope better with the cost of living crisis has passed the £3.2m mark, thanks to online public donations and an accumulation of off-line five-figure donations to our charity partner The Childhood Trust that together amount to over £100,000.

It means that today, the final day of our partnership with The Childhood Trust, we can announce that this specific alliance has raised £1.2m for our appeal, surpassing our initial goal of securing £1m to support children in poverty in London, following the initial £500,000 pledge from their founder Grant Gordon.

Together with the £2m raised by our other charity partner, Comic Relief, the total since we launched three weeks ago now exceeds £3.2m. Our partnership with Comic Relief will continue to seek to increase this pot for another two weeks in the run up to Christmas.

Our appeal, run in tandem with sister title the Evening Standard, has been backed by the Princess of Wales, mayor of London, religious leaders and a raft of leading celebrities.

Laurence Guinness, CEO of The Childhood Trust, said: “As we have read in the last two weeks, the cost-of-living crisis is having an appalling impact on London’s children, which is why we are thrilled that our part of the appeal, in partnership with the Evening Standard and The Independent, has raised £1.2m.

“On behalf of all of the children in London who will benefit, we would like to thank everyone who has donated so generously. Your kindness will ensure our outstanding partner charities can provide essential support that children living in poverty urgently need in the face of so many challenges.”

The money we have raised with The Childhood Trust will be restricted to funding groups that support disadvantaged children in London whereas the money raised with Comic Relief will go wider - funding organisations that support people of all ages who are struggling countrywide.