Thread by @Telegraph

Our Christmas Charity Appeal 2020 launches today.

This year's charities are:

@RefugeCharity
@CarersUK
@macmillancancer
@CruseCare

Here's how you can support those suffering from the knock-on effects of Covid-19

telegraph.co.uk/christmas/2020…

For more than a century, The Telegraph has run charity appeals at Christmas, inviting readers to get into the festive spirit by helping those in need. One of the first such fundraising campaigns, during the First World War, helped supply troops with Christmas puddings

Last year, readers dug deep into their pockets to support three worthy causes that help vulnerable children, lonely older people and those living with leukaemia.

We raised just shy of £600,000, with an astonishing £101,000 donated during a day-long phone-in

As the country faced Covid-19, this spring we launched another appeal – this time for donations to help those whose lives had been devastated by the pandemic.

Our readers gave an incredible £1.2 million to provide emergency grants for food, rents and funerals

The first charity we have chosen is @CruseCare, which provides support and free counselling for people struggling to cope with loss.

Holly Neill was only 25 when her mother died suddenly in a car accident. She turned to Cruse Bereavement Care for help

Our second charity is @macmillancancer, which has been helping cancer patients throughout the pandemic.

Jo Woodman was just 30 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Macmillan stepped in to help, providing her with telephone counselling

Our third charity is @CarersUK, which supports carers struggling in isolation.

Norman Phillips cares for his wife Rosamund, who has multiple sclerosis. During lockdown, Carers UK arranged “Care for a Cuppa” Zoom meetings

Our fourth charity is @RefugeCharity, which supports women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

Lisa King, director of communications at Refuge, says, “Lockdown has been a great way for a perpetrator to intensify ways of control"

"Over the summer we managed to get married. Unfortunately, in September, I went into the Marsden with another bowel blockage and I’m still in hospital"

telegraph.co.uk/christmas/2020…

In the year of Covid, @macmillancancer estimates thousands of people in the UK have cancer that is yet to be diagnosed. Cancer care has also been disrupted

You can make a donation here:

telegraph.ctdonate.org

"When the pandemic hit, everything rose to the surface. The news was full of people who hadn’t been with their relatives when they’d died and it triggered an overwhelming wave of grief"

telegraph.co.uk/christmas/0/pa…

Over 300,000 deaths have been recorded in the UK since March

You can donate to @CruseCare here: telegraph.ctdonate.org

There are an estimated 13.6 million unpaid carers in the UK, more than 4.5 million of whom started this year, due to the pandemic.

telegraph.co.uk/christmas/2020…

The coronavirus pandemic means that this year’s appeal is possibly the most important fundraiser we have ever organised.

You can donate to any or all of the charities we're supporting this here here:

telegraph.ctdonate.org

It is estimated that around 4.5 million additional people in the UK became carers this year.

You can donate to @CarersUK here: telegraph.ctdonate.org