This Christmas, there are those in our community who need our help more than ever. That’s why The EQ Foundation will once again be championing impactful charities making a difference this festive season.
Over the years of working with The Big Give, we’ve found that match funding is an incredibly effective way to meet new, impactful charities and leverage our donations. Through match-funding campaigns like the Green Match Fund and the Christmas Challenge, we’ve donated over £1,000,000 to a variety of charities, allowing them to essentially triple their funding through pledges and online donations.
When does it start?
The Christmas Challenge 2021 will take place from midday on 30 November 2021 (Giving Tuesday) to midday on 7 December, with donations to participating charities doubled during this time.
Who are we supporting this year?
The EQ Foundation is supporting fourteen charities this year:
- Renewable World works with communities in the developing world to relieve poverty through the provision of clean and affordable renewable energy. Their campaign hopes to install solar water pumping facilities to help 2,400 people in remote hilltop communities in Nepal and aid recovery from the pandemic.
- Birth Companions help pregnant women and new mothers who are experiencing severe disadvantages through support services in prisons and the community. Their frontline services have been significantly impacted through the pandemic so funding will help pregnant women get the support they greatly need.
- Excellent Development help communities in developing countries gain access to clean water by supporting the build of sand dams and school water tanks. Climate change is intensifying droughts causing widespread food and water insecurity to rural communities of Southeast Kenya so raising funds to build four sand dams will improve access to water, enhance food availability and increase resilience to environmental issues.
- The Borne Foundation is a medical research charity trying to identify causes of premature birth through funding of studies that advance knowledge of pregnancy and labour. They have bought together experts in a strategic initiative called Borne’s Uterine Mapping Project and their campaign hopes to grow the initiative whilst progressing new treatments.
- Surfers Against Sewage are a national marine conservation and campaigning charity that take action to protect oceans, beaches, wildlife and communities. Created in response to the pandemic, their Million Mile Clean campaign aims to support 100,000 volunteers to walk at least 10 miles each to clean waste from their local areas.
- Chance for Childhood work to strengthen African communities’ by implementing locally relevant support for vulnerable street children, disabled children, children affected by conflict and children behind bars. Donations will support their programmes that are enabling introduction of Learning Support Assistant schemes for children with special learning needs and helping reduce juvenile crime in a holistic package of interventions.
- Breaking Barriers empowers refugees to find stable and fulfilling employment through bespoke, 1-1 support. The crisis in Afghanistan this year has mean their programme had an influx of Afghan refugees seeking support and funding will continue to help provide services for those in need.
- Global Feedback catalyse action that changes attitudes toward food waste and food systems in the UK. Their community projects pivoted to pandemic response this year, turning surplus food into thousands of healthy meals and food parcels for vulnerable households. Donations will sustain this work and help them continue campaigning to change government policy and corporate practice.
- Trees for Cities work to improve the lives of those living in cities and combat climate change by planting thousands of trees in urban areas. Support from local authorities and volunteers have helped them revitalise forgotten spaces, creating healthier environments and their campaign funds will go towards communities most in need while tackling the climate crisis head-on.
- Foodcycle combats hunger and loneliness in communities across the UK by serving nutritious meals at community centres to those socially isolated and in need with the help of dedicated volunteers. Donations hope to support centres in distributing even more meals in a positive social environment.
- Justlife Foundation provide 1-1 support, activities and workshops that empower adults housed in Unsupported Temporary Accommodation (UTA) to move towards employment, independent living and improved health and wellbeing. Support will aid mental and physical health assessments, outreach and doorstep drop-ins, support for prison leavers reintegration and give the homeless access to social networks.
- Solar Aid combats poverty and climate change by providing access to solar lighting in rural communities of Africa. This year’s Christmas Challenge kicks off SolarAid’s new strategy to light up every home, school and clinic in Africa by 2030 called ‘End the Darkness’. Funding aims to move towards this target by providing solar lights for 107,900 people.
- The Listening Place provide those who are suicidal with a safe place to speak about their feelings with trained volunteers. Many of their referrals come from the NHS and due to the negative impacts of the pandemic, demand has increased substantially. Funding will help to ensure they can continue to offer services to all those that need access.
- West London Zone coordinate individual support plans for children who are at risk of failing at school by working with specialist partner charities that help them reach academic and wellbeing goals. Support will help disadvantaged young people in West London get back on track after school closures impacted their progress so significantly.
One donation. Twice the impact.
Donate and have your donation doubled here: https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/christmas-challenge-2021
