The Standard has joined forces with Comic Relief to support UK organisations that support the homeless, people suffering food insecurity, and refugees forced to flee their homes.
Refugees and people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity are London’s most disadvantaged groups. The campaign, Who’s At Your Table, reminds us that we all have origin stories that connect us to displacement and can help us empathise.
The campaign shares stories of people who have overcome homelessness, or fled their childhood homes with nothing — but thanks to the right help at the right time, have rebuilt their lives.
How you can help
£5 could cover the cost for a young person to have a hot meal at a day centre
£10 could contribute towards an emergency grant or food voucher for a young person in need
£27 could give a young person a night in emergency accommodation instead of sleeping rough
£100 could keep a delivery van on the road for a day, delivering hundreds of meals to people in need
Who’s At Your Table is backed by singer Rita Ora, who fled Kosovo as a young child with her family to seek safety in the UK. “Growing up as a child refugee shaped everything about who I am,” the singer, who has had four number one hits in the UK, told The Standard.
“The people who welcomed us made us feel accepted and part of something bigger, and that kindness stays with me,” she said.
“It taught me that belonging isn’t something you’re given — it’s something we create together, through compassion and openness.”
Other celebrities and notable persons to support our 2025 Winter Appeal include Stephen Fry, Andi Oliver, Neil Jones and Zack Polanski.
Stories and people highlighted in the campaign include Guan, the manager of a Bond Street fashion store, who lost his job and ended up sleeping in Finsbury Park, before transforming his life through art; Nestor, who arrived here as a child refugee and is now a chef at a Michelin-star restaurant; and Shelaine, who experienced food poverty as a child and early adult, and now delivers meals to people with similar stories through one of our highlighted charities City Harvest.
Three myths
Myth 1: Homeless people in London are mostly substance abusers who sleep rough
Fact: Half of the 183,000 Londoners in temporary accommodation are children
Myth 2: The UK does not need more immigrants
Fact: There are 121,000 full-time vacancies in our NHS that we need to fill
Myth 3: Most asylum seekers falsely claim to have fled danger and have no basis for their claim
Fact: Around 70% of UK asylum claims are granted, either in the initial decision stage or on appeal
Sources: Government data; London Councils; NHS England
There were a record 13,231 rough sleepers spotted on London’s streets between April 2024 and March 2025, up 10 per cent from the previous year’s total.
With so many people living in temporary accommodation in the capital, the campaign invites people to ask: Who is at our table? Can we think about those less fortunate, who are missing loved ones from theirs?
Comic Relief has pledged £500,000 and The Standard is asking corporations, foundations, philanthropists, and readers to donate as much as possible.
“Right now, millions of people across the UK are living through the hardest times of their lives,” said Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief.
“One in six households are going hungry, 350,000 people are without a home, and far too many feel unwelcome and unsafe. This is unacceptable. But even in the darkest moments, we can get through them if we come together with compassion.
“That is why we’re proud to raise funds for organisations helping those most in need during the winter months ahead. Donations will help more people sleep safely in a warm bed, more families share hot meals, and more refugees rebuild their lives. More than that — it’s about helping people feel seen and know they matter.”
