Candlelighters, the children’s cancer charity, is holding their Big Give Christmas campaign, up to midday Tuesday, December 9th, when donations will be matched by pledges from generous organisations. The charity is hoping to raise £40,000 in online donations in seven days, which will be matched to achieve a target of £80,000.
For the second year, the charity is taking part in the UK’s biggest match-funding campaign – the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Donations made to Candlelighters via the Big Give website between these dates can be doubled – meaning twice the impact for families dealing with childhood cancer treatment. The £80,000 target will help Candlelighters fund the cost of their hospital support for families affected by childhood cancer throughout December and year-round.
Candlelighters CEO, Emily Wragg, says, “After the incredible success of last year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, we’re excited to announce that we’ll be joining the campaign again this year, as our 2025 Christmas appeal. In 2024, our amazing supporters helped us to raise £40,000, to fund festive activities, gifts, and magical moments for children with cancer and their families. This year, we’re aiming even higher, with a target of £80,000.”
Emily explains: “Big Give is a UK-based charity that runs match-funding campaigns to double donations for other charities. It connects the public, philanthropists, foundations, and companies, to charities like Candlelighters, matching public donations with funds from these larger partners, which doubles the impact of every contribution. This allows charities to raise more money for their causes and reach a wider audience.
“This year, thanks to the generosity of Reed Foundation, AllCall Group, Bright Blue Foods, Grantside, PJ Staffing, Stephen O’Brien, The NEDs, LGT Wealth Management and Weightmans, donations made to our Big Give Christmas Challenge can be doubled. We need £40,000 of donations during the Big Give Christmas Challenge week to activate the match funding pot and achieve our £80,000 target.”
Emily adds: “By donating to Candlelighters through the Big Give, supporters will give children in hospital vital support at Christmas and beyond. Donations will fund our front-line Family Support Workers who provide vital emotional care, festive joy, and critical help – lighting the way through families’ darkest times. The campaign runs up to midday Tuesday, December 9th. It’s important to remember that only donations received via the Big Give website, during these dates, will be doubled. Visit https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000005wGMVYA2”
Case study.
Last Christmas, three-year-old Finn, and his parents, were one of many families supported by Candlelighters.
Finn, from Harrogate, spent the festive period in hospital, part of a total of six months in hospital, largely in isolation, even from other children on the ward.
At the time, Tom and Dee, Finn’s parents, couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead for their family. They didn’t know that Finn would need 48 blood transfusions. Or that over Christmas, their son, would be receiving chemotherapy, followed by a bone marrow transplant.
Tom says: “I was excited because it was the first year when he was going to understand what Christmas is. That he’d know that Father Christmas is going to visit the house and put some presents under our Christmas tree. I grieved that loss – that he wasn’t going to get that experience.”
Kind donations to Candlelighters ensured Finn experienced the magic of Christmas despite him being unable to leave his hospital room. Generous contributions enabled festive activities, presents, visits from Santa and precious happy moments during a dark and isolating time.
Dee says: “The bits we didn’t have any headspace for, Candlelighters came to our rescue. They arranged a visit from Santa, who spoke to us on the phone. He put his finger to the window, sending Finn some Christmas magic. And suddenly a present appeared under the covers of his bed. Finn was blown away.”
As well as creating special moments for Finn, the donations received by Candlelighters gave vital support to Dee and Tom. Dee found comfort in the Candlelighters family support workers during her long stay in isolation.
“They got to know us, and their visits helped me feel connected to the outside world, which otherwise felt pretty far away. That human connection makes the unbearable days bearable. Finn realised quickly that the people in the pink T-shirts were safe, they weren’t going to be doing a procedure on him, and he could have fun with them.”
This year, more children like Finn and their families need your help, and this year your donation goes even further. As part of the Big Give challenge, a £20 donation is worth £40 and could fund festive crafts and activities in hospital. A donation of £31.50 is worth £63 and could fund four hours of frontline support from Candlelighters’ family support workers during December. And a £55 donation is worth £110 and could fund five one-to-one sessions with a trained counsellor for a parent or child in hospital.
To contribute to The Big Give, visit: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000005wGMVYA2