The London Evening Standard's fund for the capital's dispossessed has reached £4.5m.
Readers have donated more than £1.7m to Fund for the Dispossessed, which has been matched by the government. A further £1m has come from the Grassroots project.
About £1m is to be distributed to London charities within the coming weeks under the auspices of the Community Foundation Network. The remainder will form a permanent fund to help the poor.
The prime minister, David Cameron, praised the initiative, saying: "The government is proud to have matched the donations given by readers, knowing that every penny will go towards tackling extreme poverty and creating the kind of society that we all hope for, where people have the means to help themselves and to help others."
The fund was launched on 20 July following a series of Standard articles highlighting the plight of London's poorest people.
Standard editor Geordie Greig said: "Raising £4.5m... reflects the staggering generosity of Londoners. This is a significant day for the Evening Standard breaking all records for a newspaper charity appeal unconnected to wars or natural disasters."
Source: Evening Standard
