Thanks to the enormous generosity of our readers, the Guardian and Observer appeal for refugees is breaking records. On Monday it became our most successful fundraiser ever after it passed the £1.5m mark.
More than 14,000 readers have now donated, but many have also been fundraising themselves. During our telethon, columnist Polly Toynbee took a call from a reader in north London who had thrown a party for 170 people in aid of the appeal. Many have given their winter fuel allowance or donated money that would have been spent on their Christmas presents.
Here are some of the more unusual ways readers have raised money.
Yoga classes
Yoga teacher Dominic Batten decided to donate all of the profits from his classes during the winter term to the appeal, with plenty more to come – this term he is teaching more classes than ever before.
“I am a yoga teacher and decided in September that all profit from my classes this term would support refugees,” he said.
“Yoga is an ethical practice which should benefit others. It’s not OK to feel good while others are suffering for no other reason than the wish to be safe. I am very pleased the Guardian has chosen refugees as this year’s appeal – donating with others makes it feel a bit more than a drop in the ocean.”
Apple-picking
Kate Cameron raised £300 for the appeal by selling the apples from her orchard. She got some friends together during the weekends in October to pick the apples, which they have since sold to a local company that makes juice and cider.
“We wanted to do something for the refugee crisis as this has been uppermost in our minds over the summer and autumn. I hope our donation will go towards alleviating the stress for some of the people who are fleeing their homeland and are vulnerable,” she said.
Singing
Charlotte Williams teaches music at primary schools in West Norfolk. At one school she has been running a singing club for 22 children since October in preparation for a concert at their local church. The children collected donations after the service, raising £70.74 for the appeal.
“I explained to the children that many people in the world are forced to leave their homes, families, countries even, in little more than the clothes they stood up in, to travel for long distances in dangerous situations in order to hopefully find a better life. Hope being a key word,” said Williams.
They learned and performed two carols. Williams chose the Refugee Carol by Peter Kearney and Sydney Carter’s Standing in the Rain, which she describes as “a contentious choice as it is about how Christians can be deeply ineffective whilst preaching all the right things”.
“Instead of a cheery, commonly known carol, and despite having a choir containing four-to-11-year-olds, I chose two rarely known carols, both with the theme of refugees. At this time of year we must remember that Mary and Joseph were refugees … and that only an hour from Britain we have the Calais camps,” she said.
Making lunch
Italian restaurant the River Cafe sits on the Thames in London. From January to March, £1 from its winter set lunch menu will be donated to Doctors of the World, one of the six charities chosen for the Guardian and Observer appeal.
The restaurant hopes to raise hundreds of pounds from customers, which it will then match itself.
Are you fundraising for the Christmas appeal? Let us know – or if you have already donated we would love you to tell us why. Email the Christmas appeal team at guardianappeal2015@theguardian.com
