Telegraph phone-in day raises £84,000 for Charity Appeal

Charity Head Office staff volunteered to help take calls during The Telegraph’s phone-in day on Sunday, as part of the publication’s Christmas Charity Appeal. During the eight hours phone lines were open, nearly 900 Telegraph readers donated £84,485.40 throughout the day, beating last year’s total of nearly £81,000.

Alongside representatives from Young Minds and Changing Faces – the other two charities being supported by the appeal – our volunteers took calls from donors throughout the day, who could choose which charity their money went towards.

Thank you to everyone who has phoned in to donate to the #TelegraphChristmasAppeal so far. We’ve raised more than £17,000 since 10am! Our editors and journalists are here answering the phones until 6pm. Call 0800 117 118 to speak to one of us now. pic.twitter.com/UhJ246mU3r

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 2, 2018

“What a lovely, joyful day, full of festive goodwill,” says Sophie Pierce. “It felt really special to be there representing The Fire Fighters Charity, especially when people on the phone would ask who you were, and you explained you worked for the very charity they were making a donation to.”

Journalists, Telegraph columnists and celebrity ambassadors, including Gail Porter, Bryony Gordon, Adam Pearson and Boris Johnson, were on hand to help take calls and pose for photographs.

The Fire Fighters Charity’s Kate Griffiths and Sophie Pierce join Young Minds’ celebrity ambassador Sean Fletcher, actor, TV presenter and Changing Faces champion Adam Pearson, and Telegraph columnists Boris Johnson and Bryony Gordon.

“It was a very fun day and exciting to see the total steadily increase,” says Yvonne Navas. “It was nice to talk to people on the phone and the other charities there. The Telegraph made us feel very welcome and it was great way to start off the Christmas countdown.”