The ''Radio 4 Appeal'' is a British
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
programme on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
. Each week a single speaker, usually a celebrity, appeals for support for a different
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* Ch ...
(for example
Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney (born Paul Wisniewski; 20 April 1949) is a British radio broadcaster and television reporter most notable as a former presenter of ''That's Life!''.
Early life
He was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, the son of Norbert Wisniewski and Ev ...
appealed on behalf of Send a Cow in 2008, while
Ross Noble
Ross Markham Noble (born 5 June 1976) is an English stand-up comedian and actor. Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on panel shows such as '' Have I Got News for You' ...
appealed on behalf of
Riders for Health
Riders for Health is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that specialises in supplying, managing and maintaining vehicles for health-focused organisations in African countries. Motorcycles are well-suited for delivering health care in Africa, ...
in 2010). Listeners are invited to respond by sending cheques using a
Freepost
Freepost is a postal service provided by various postal administrations, whereby a person sends mail without affixing postage, and the recipient pays the postage when collecting the mail. Freepost differs from self-addressed stamped envelopes ...
address, or can make payments online or by telephone. Listeners can also set up a
standing order payment to support all 52 charities each year.
The programme is transmitted at 07:55 and 21:26 on Sunday, and at 15:27 on the following Thursday. It is governed by the BBC's Charity Appeal Policy.
Each year since 1927, the BBC has broadcast a special Christmas Appeal in association with
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. It is dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. There has been a church on the site since at least the mediev ...
church in
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson commemo ...
, London. This raises funds which are divided equally between The Connection at St Martin's, which supports vulnerable and homeless people in central London, and the Vicar's Relief Fund, which makes grants, averaging £200, to people anywhere in the UK who are at risk of homelessness or with experience of being homeless. The 2012 Appeal raised a record £1.9 million.
In 2007-2008 the appeals raised £1,433,154.02 for 52 charities. Just over half of this, £725,000, was for the annual Christmas appeal, broadcast on 2 Dec 2007. Amounts raised for other charities in that year ranged from £1,366.00 (
Jenni Murray
Dame Jennifer Susan Murray, (''née'' Bailey; born 12 May 1950) is an English journalist and broadcaster, best known for presenting BBC Radio 4's ''Woman's Hour'' from 1987 to 2020.
Early life
Murray was born in Barnsley, West Riding of Yorks ...
appealing for
BEAT (Eating Disorders Association) on 24 Feb 2008) to £53,988.00 (
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Krishnan Guru-Murthy (born 5 April 1970) is a British journalist. He is the lead presenter of ''Channel 4 News''. He also presents '' Unreported World'', a foreign-affairs documentary series.
Early life
Guru-Murthy's father, an Indian consul ...
appealing for
Homeless International on 3 March 2007, one week later).
An earlier programme based on the same principle was ''The Week's Good Cause'', which ran from 1926 (from 1939 in the
BBC Home Service
The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4.
History
1922–1939: Interwar period
Between the early 1920s and the outbreak of World War II, the BBC ...
) until controller
James Boyle's major reforms to Radio 4 in 1998.
References
External links
Radio 4 Appealwith link to audio of latest appeal and archive listing past appeals
Radio 4 Appealpage at the BBC Charity Appeal website
The St Martin-in-the-Fields BBC Radio 4 Christmas AppealThe Connection at St Martin'sSt Martin-in-the-Fields Vicar's Relief Fund
{{BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 programmes