The Guardian's annual Hope appeal has achieved a significant milestone, raising more than £350,000 in under two weeks for charities dedicated to healing societal divisions across the United Kingdom.
Charities at the Heart of Community Building
The 2025 campaign is channelling funds to five inspirational grassroots organisations: Citizens UK, The Linking Network, Locality, Hope Unlimited, and Who Is Your Neighbour?. These groups are actively countering a troubling backdrop of extremist violence, the demonisation of migrants, and a reported resurgence of "1970s-style racism". Their practical projects focus on fostering empathy, building trust, and establishing common values from the ground up.
More than £30,000 was donated during a single-day telethon, where over 40 Guardian journalists, including John Crace, Polly Toynbee, and Simon Hattenstone, answered calls from supportive readers. The appeal's success underscores a public desire for positive action.
Transforming Lives and Creating Connections
The charities' work is vividly illustrated by initiatives like The Linking Network's school programme. Recently, pupils from Hill Top Church of England and Horton Grange primary schools came together for a linking event at Bradford City Hall, bridging different faiths and backgrounds. Zahra Niazi, a trustee at The Linking Network, expressed profound gratitude: "Thank you to the Guardian readers for your incredible generosity. Your support transforms lives. You are helping to create a generation that values connection and unity."
Similarly, a spokesperson for Who Is Your Neighbour? highlighted the impact: "Your support will help us start new conversations, include more communities in our programmes, and make a meaningful impact where it matters most."
A Reader Response Fuelled by Hope
The appeal has clearly resonated with the newspaper's audience. One donor commented online about feeling "impotent and full of despair" but found inspiration in the featured work of Citizens UK. Another contributor shared their motivation, stating they felt "desperate and powerless at the way racism and demeaning discourse are fuelling hate" and saw the donation as a way to help stem the tide.
In her introduction to the appeal, the Guardian's editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, framed the initiative as a stand for shared values. She wrote that the partner charities operate on the belief that "however loud the forces of hate and division, they will never drown out the values shared by the vast majority: tolerance, compassion and common humanity."
The funds raised will empower a wide range of community-focused projects, addressing issues from affordable housing and youth clubs to arts schemes and refugee welcome programmes, ultimately aiming to build resilience and restore pride across the UK.
