Generous Guardian and Observer readers gave £57,000 over the phones during our annual charity appeal telethon for charities supporting the victims of war and conflict, with the overall total hitting more than £500,000.
A 46-strong roster of journalists including Marina Hyde, John Crace, Polly Toynbee, Zoe Williams, Gaby Hinsliff, Jonathan Freedland, Felicity Cloake, Tim Dowling and Peter Bradshaw chatted to and took donations from more than 500 readers during the eight-hour event on Saturday.
The 2024 appeal is raising money for three charities: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and War Child, which do frontline work in war zones across the world – including in Gaza and Ukraine – and Parallel Histories, which helps schools teach sensitive and controversial histories such as those of Northern Ireland, Israel and Palestine.
The appeal total stood at £508,000 on Sunday morning, just over a week into the appeal. More than 5,000 readers have donated so far. The appeal continues into the new year.
Katharine Viner, the Guardian’s editor-in-chief, introducing the appeal, said: “We ask you to support the Guardian and Observer appeal in a spirit of optimism and defiance, as a signal of commitment to peace, human rights and social justice, and as a gesture of solidarity with the millions of people whose lives and livelihoods have been destroyed through war and violence.”
Hundreds of readers have told us why they donated to the appeal, using the email tool on the online donation page.
One said: “I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like for people, and children in particular to live in the midst of war … I pray this small donation (I wish it was more) will add another drop to the bucket of compassion and transformation.”
Another said: “Knowing that my donation will go towards support on the ground in the moment of conflict, but will also support recovery and help us to learn lessons from conflicts in the future, is important to me – to feel some hope in what generally feels like a hopeless situation.”
Dr Natalie Roberts, the executive director of MSF UK, said: “It’s incredible to see donations reach £500,000 so quickly. Your support means so much to us, and more importantly, it means hope and life-saving care to the people who need it the most.”
Other journalists who took part in the telethon were: Owen Gibson, Rob Booth, Gwyn Topham, Paul Lewis, Hilary Osborne, Jess Cartner-Morley, Helena Horton, Andrew Gregory, Sirin Kale, Clare Margetson, Fay Schlesinger, Luke Harding, Tobi Thomas, Richard Partington, Rachel Oldroyd, Charlotte Higgins, Dan Sabbagh, Nicole Jackson, Joseph Harker, Hannah Moore, Andrew Sparrow, Jenny Stevens, Hugh Muir, Sammy Gecsoyler, Peter Walker, Emily Dugan, Denis Campbell, Simon Hattenstone, Emma Graham-Harrison, Maeve Shearlaw, Vikram Dodd, Harry Davies, Heather Stewart, Juliette Garside, Barbara Speed, Robyn Vinter and Patrick Butler.
