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Good morning. On Friday, the Guardian launched its 2025 charity appeal, an annual tradition that brings the whole organisation together to raise money for a cause that is urgent, relevant and rooted in our values.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s campaign focuses on supporting local communities with practical programmes including training people on how to run local campaigns, holding sessions where communities can come together to discuss difficult issues, and pairing groups of 11- and 12-year-olds from different faiths and backgrounds to spend whole days together comparing their lives and discussing stereotypes.<\/p>\n
Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner introduced the appeal in this piece, writing that the campaign \u201cis a tribute to those whose voluntary efforts transform individual lives and communities, in the public interest, and a celebration of social justice\u201d. But to hear more about why we chose this year\u2019s theme, where the money will go and how readers can get involved, I spoke to Patrick Butler<\/strong><\/em>, the Guardian\u2019s social policy editor and chair of the Guardian charity appeal committee. First, the headlines.<\/p>\n Health <\/strong><\/em>| One in seven people in England who need hospital care are not receiving it because their GP referral is lost, rejected or delayed, the NHS\u2019s patient watchdog has found.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ukraine <\/strong><\/em>| Donald Trump may walk away from the Ukrainian war, the US president\u2019s oldest son has said in comments to a Middle East conference.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n UK politics <\/strong><\/em>| At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or Brexit party are now known to have been the focus of efforts by \u200balleged Russian asset, Nathan Gill\u200b.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Israel-Gaza<\/strong><\/em> | Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the first phase of the UN-endorsed Gaza ceasefire plan is close to completion, and that the second phase must involve the disarmament of Hamas.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Culture <\/strong><\/em>| Martin Parr, the British documentary photographer who captured the peculiarities of the nation with clarity and hilarity, has died aged 73.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n <\/span>A clipping from the Manchester Guardian in 1914 appealing for Christmas presents for serving soldiers.<\/span> Photograph: Guardian archives<\/p>\n In the days of the Manchester Guardian the paper would sometimes publish letters around December time making charity appeals. In 1883, for example, the Old Garratt Ragged school raised funds to give 300 pupils a roast dinner on Christmas Day, and during the first world war the newspaper urged readers to donate so presents could be sent to those serving at the front in the Lancashire and Cheshire regiments.<\/p>\n The first modern annual appeal launched in 1998, and Patrick Butler has been one of the key figures organising them for the past decade \u2013 a period in which Guardian readers have donated \u00a315m to a range of causes, from supporting refugees and asylum seekers to combating child poverty, addressing the climate crisis, helping Windrush campaigners and assisting victims of war.<\/p>\n \u201cCharity appeals are never about \u2018safe\u2019 topics,\u201d Patrick told me. \u201cThey always reflect the issues the Guardian is reporting on \u2013 and the values our readers care about.\u201d<\/p>\n How did we choose this year\u2019s theme?<\/strong><\/p>\n Every year, a small group of Guardian employees comes together to start thinking about what the year\u2019s Christmas appeal will be. They have a few core principles that guide them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ask: what\u2019s been in the news? What\u2019s topical? And we think about Guardian values and Guardian readers\u2019 values. We look for themes grounded in social justice,\u201d says Patrick.<\/p>\n This year, he says, a sense of \u201cunsettling social division, anger, unrest and extremist violence\u201d loomed in the background \u2013 but the aim wasn\u2019t to dwell on the negative. It was to focus on the solution.<\/p>\n \u201cOur appeals are always about hope. All year we cover terrible things \u2013 war, conflict, the climate emergency. The appeal is about showing the positive side: people doing really good work. We wanted to support grassroots charities whose work nurtures hope, community, pride and positive change. Their work is a powerful antidote to the distrust and hatred increasingly visible.\u201d<\/p>\n Which charities are benefit<\/strong>ing?<\/strong><\/p>\n This year the appeal fund is raising money for five separate organisations: the Linking Network, Locality, Citizens UK, Who is your neighbour? and Hope Unlimited.<\/p>\n As Katharine Viner put it: \u201cThese charities, which operate in some of the UK\u2019s most economically deprived areas, campaign for better housing, improved health services and thriving high streets. They help restore abandoned libraries, parks and community centres. They run food banks, jobs and skills initiatives, youth and sports clubs, drop-in centres, arts projects, neighbourhood festivals and refugee welcome initiatives. They help to build hope.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re supporting charities doing work that highlights the values most of us share \u2013 tolerance, compassion, common humanity,\u201d Patrick says. \u201cThere\u2019s more that brings us together than divides us.\u201d<\/p>\n How did we <\/strong>reclaim<\/strong> the language of the far<\/strong> right?<\/strong><\/p>\n This year, those who put together the Guardian\u2019s Christmas campaign had a clever idea about how to market it. What if they re-purposed slogans regularly used by the far right, and subverted them so that they had a more hopeful message?<\/p>\n So it will run with messages like \u201cOur country is full \u2013 of people who can heal division\u201d and \u201cBring back good old-fashioned British values \u2013 like empathy and compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a way for the Guardian to show that it\u2019s easy to name a problem, but there are also hard-working people out there, who often go unspoken about, trying to work out solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the rhetoric used by people who want to divide us is: \u2018Britain\u2019s broken, it\u2019s going to the dogs, things aren\u2019t what they used to be.\u2019 And actually what we\u2019re saying is there\u2019s loads of brilliant, positive stuff that\u2019s happening in local communities, which we want to support. That\u2019s where we\u2019re coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n How can readers get involved?<\/strong><\/p>\n The main way readers can contribute is by making a donation \u2013 you can do it online here \u2013 but there is also the annual telethon that you can take part in on Saturday 13 December, when you get a chance to speak to Guardian writers as you pledge a donation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really fun to do,\u201d Patrick says. \u201cReaders call in, make a donation and you get 10 minutes chatting with them. They tell you why they love the Guardian \u2013 and sometimes what they\u2019re disappointed with \u2013 but it\u2019s great for journalists because it is unmediated contact with readers. In my experience, they\u2019re genuinely lovely conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n The Guardian Bookshop will also donate 20p from every order received until 31 December to the appeal.<\/p>\n Was it a difficult process?<\/strong><\/p>\n I ask Patrick how the days leading up to the launch of an appeal feels: is it a frantic rush, or a case of just sitting back waiting to press the big red launch button?<\/p>\n \u201cA mixture of the two,\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n \u201cAround mid-November,\u201d he says \u201cit becomes that classic journalistic working to deadline thing, where you\u2019re commissioning articles about all the great work that these charities do, you\u2019re talking to the charities about how best we can tell their story. There\u2019s lots of admin stuff, and so it becomes a very frantic last three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what\u2019s happening and why it matters<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.<\/span><\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Patrick was also at pains to point out how the appeal touches every part of the Guardian, including a lot of the unsung heroes behind the scenes who don\u2019t get bylines.<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t just the newspaper and the website. It\u2019s Guardian marketing. The legal team are involved in drawing up the contracts. The live events team runs the telethon. There are people on the committee from all departments of the Guardian having their say. So it is very much a collective effort.\u201d<\/p>\n The contribution of you, the reader, is very much part of that collective. Donate to the Guardian charity appeal here.<\/p>\n <\/span>From Martin Parr\u2019s \u2018The Last Resort\u2019. 1983-85.<\/span> Photograph: Martin Parr\/Magnum Photos<\/p>\n I have always been a fan of the photographer Martin Parr<\/strong> who has died aged 73. This gallery features some of his best images of ordinary people living their everyday lives. Katy Vans, newsletters team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n An essential staple of the Belam family Christmas for many years has been getting something new and party-friendly for the PlayStation, and new board games<\/strong>. Here is a rundown of the best of the latter this year. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Where the US leads the UK tends to follow, so it was with a sense of foreboding that I read this excellent piece about Trump\u2019s plans to ban immigration<\/strong> to people from an ever-widening range of countries. Katy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fashion designers August Barron (Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestb\u00f8) have curated for Dazed an enjoyable video playlist of their favourite inspiring pop diva videos<\/strong>: Kylie, Gaga, Bj\u00f6rk and more, worth turning up to 11. Martin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n Christmas is coming whether you like it or not, and this year\u2019s trend for bizarre baubles<\/strong> (Ozempic needles?) gave me some light relief. Katy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/span>Lando Norris celebrates his Formula One world championship title.<\/span> Photograph: Clive Mason\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Formula One <\/strong><\/em>| Lando Norris said he is proud of the way he went about winning his first Formula One world championship, stating after an emotional celebration with his McLaren team and family that he was glad he \u201cwon it my way\u201d.<\/p>\n Football <\/strong><\/em>| Crystal Palace have moved up to fourth place in the Premier League after a 2-1 victory at Fulham.<\/p>\n Ashes <\/strong><\/em>| Ben Stokes has admitted that the way England have folded in key moments during the first two Ashes Tests has led him to question the character of his players, and said: \u201cA dressing room that I am captain of isn\u2019t a place for weak men.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span> Photograph: The Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cPatients at risk as one in seven GP referrals \u2018vanish into black hole\u2019\u201d is the Guardian<\/strong> splash. The Mail<\/strong> leads on \u201cPublic no longer trust NHS over dementia care\u201d, the Independent<\/strong> says \u201cProbation chief warns service is in \u2018perpetual crisis\u2019\u201d and the Times<\/strong> has \u201cState will encourage all staff to join union\u201d. The Telegraph<\/strong> runs with \u201cRight wingers branded danger to children\u201d and the FT<\/strong> looks at the US with \u201cFed set for rate cut despite splits over prospects for economy under Trump\u201d. The Sun<\/strong> splashes on \u201cHarry gun cop u-turn\u201d, in reference to Prince Harry and armed police protection on visits to the UK, and the Mirror<\/strong> has \u201cNow make him Sir Kev\u201d \u2013 on Kevin Sinfield\u2019s fundraising efforts.<\/p>\n <\/span>A trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.<\/span> Photograph: Angela Weiss\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Is AI a bubble that\u2019s about to pop?<\/strong><\/p>\n Should we be worried about the vast amounts of money pouring into AI? And what will happen if the bubble bursts? Blake Montgomery<\/strong> reports.<\/p>\n <\/span>The Writer\u2019s Dog.<\/span> Illustration: Tom Gauld\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Sign up for Inside Saturday to see more of Tom Gauld\u2019s cartoons, the best Saturday magazine content and an exclusive look behind the scenes<\/em><\/p>\n A bit of good news to remind you that the world\u2019s not all bad<\/em><\/p>\n <\/span> <\/span> Illustration: Victoria Hart\/Guardian Design<\/p>\n YiZhong Zhuang travelled to Canberra in 2006 for a medical school interview, expecting to find cheap accommodation on arrival. With the city full due to a convention and even the airport closed overnight, he wandered the streets unsure where to stay. A young woman noticed him looking lost and, without hesitation, offered him the floor of her ANU dorm room and a spare meal from her part-time job.<\/p>\n Only later did he appreciate the risk she took by helping a stranger. Though he never saw her again, he has never forgotten her generosity and hopes \u201cthe universe has repaid her act of kindness many times over. The world needs more people like that woman.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, the Guardian\u2019s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good morning. On Friday, the Guardian launched its 2025 charity appeal, an annual tradition that brings the whole organisation together to raise money for a cause that is urgent, relevant and rooted in our values. This year\u2019s campaign focuses on supporting local communities with practical programmes including training people on how to run local campaigns,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[713,1043,336,1732,1554,1510,7543,4669,2123,637],"class_list":{"0":"post-36382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-social-issues","8":"tag-appeal","9":"tag-briefing","10":"tag-british","11":"tag-champions","12":"tag-charity","13":"tag-guardian","14":"tag-monday","15":"tag-society","16":"tag-values","17":"tag-years"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Five big stories<\/h2>\n
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In depth: \u2018Our appeals are always about hope\u2019<\/h2>\n
What else we\u2019ve been reading<\/h2>\n
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Sport<\/h2>\n
The front pages<\/h2>\n
Today in Focus<\/h2>\n
Cartoon of the day | Tom Gauld<\/h2>\n
The Upside<\/h2>\n
Bored at work?<\/h2>\n