16 January 2007

The Guardian and Observer Christmas Appeals

NPC advised on the 2006 Guardian and Observer Christmas Appeals which raised around £242,000 for mental health charities, after gift aid had been collected. One innovation of this year's appeal was doubling the impact of the money raised by having Zurich Community Trust match donations pound for pound.

NPC was once again involved in advising on which charities were supported by the appeals. This year, the newspapers chose to focus on mental health charities and featured a selection of NPC's recommended charities from across the UK, which all work to tackle problems associated with mental health.

Claudia Botham, who helped advise on the appeal commented: 'We all want to know that the money we give to charity is being used to greatest effect, but ensuring this isn't always easy. People frequently donate money without considering how it will be used and what it will achieve. The Guardian and Observer Christmas Appeals have made it easy for readers to support really effective charities.'

The chosen charities work with a wide cross-section of mental health sufferers, from children to those from ethnic minority groups. Awetu, for example, is one charity operating in Wales which caters specifically for mental sufferers from black and ethic minority groups. Project workers build relationships with individuals, understand their cultural needs and help them form social support networks within their own ethnic communities.

The Appeals have had a much bigger impact, however than simply raising money. As Nigel Harris, Chief Executive of NPC comments: 'the Christmas Appeals have also helped to tackle the lack of awareness that is at the root of many problems faced by people with mental health issues'.

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