A Century of Hope: The History of the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin’s

🕒 6 min read

Every December, BBC Radio 4 listeners tune in to a Christmas tradition that has been changing lives for nearly a century. The BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity is one of the longest-running charitable appeals in broadcasting history, raising vital funds to help people across the UK find a safe place to call home and the support they need to keep it. 

In 2025, we’re delivering our 99th Christmas Appeal, working with BBC Radio 4 to raise funds that will support thousands of people experiencing homelessness. The Appeal helps people through our emergency grants and via projects we fund across the UK that help people access housing, mental health support and other essential services. 

In this blog, we look back at the origins of the Appeal, hear from people whose lives have changed thanks to your generosity, and share what’s in store for this year’s BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity.

Before we get started

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A Tradition Rooted in Compassion

The story of the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal began in the years just after the First World War. Revd Dick Sheppard, who joined St Martin-in-the-Fields Church as Vicar, came with a simple but powerful idea — that churches should always have their doors open. He began appealing for those who had fallen on hard times. 

In 1924, the BBC broadcast the first ever live church service anywhere in the world: a groundbreaking moment at a time when broadcasting itself was still new. The service was held in St Martin-in-the-Fields Church and led by Revd Dick Sheppard, who was determined to bring the Church’s message beyond its walls and into people’s homes. 

Just a few years later, Revd Sheppard made the first ever Christmas Appeal, asking listeners to donate money so that people who were struggling could have “treats and happiness at Christmas.” The response was immediate and heartfelt. Donations poured in from across the country, and St Martin’s distributed them directly to people in need. 

That small beginning grew into a nationwide movement. Every December since, the Appeal has asked listeners to extend a hand of compassion to someone who needs help finding safety, warmth and hope.

From Radio Broadcast to National Movement

Fast forward to today, and the core idea remains largely the same: tell people’s stories, show the need for support, and make it possible for ordinary people to help in a simple, effective way. The Vicar’s Christmas Appeal has long since moved from a local effort to a national movement, and the sums raised now sustain frontline projects and partnerships across the UK, as well as thousands of grants to people experiencing homelessness each year. 

You may be familiar with the Appeal’s voices. Revd Dr Sam Wells writes and reads the main appeal each year, while Hugh Dennis presents the Making a Difference programme, introducing listeners to people whose lives have been changed. And each December, a group of celebrity ambassadors and volunteers staff the Appeal Hub on the morning of the Appeal launch, taking calls from supporters and sharing thanks with generous donors. 

At the Appeal Hub, popular BBC voices such as Hugh Dennis, Souad Faress, and Alexei Sayle often join supporters on the phones. Felicity Finch, actor in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers, told us what the Appeal means to her: 

“It does not take months to get something done. You know with a frontline worker that is working with somebody, they can come to the [Charity] and say this person needs this small deposit to get on their feet. There is a realisation amongst those who are donating of how important it is to get out there and be helping people in this way.” 

So, what is the impact of these donations? In recent times, the Appeal has amassed millions each year, with our 98th Appeal in 2024 raising £2.2 million, an increase on the year before. The funds go directly to a range of vital services, such as: 

• Emergency grants, where frontline workers can apply for small, fast grants, often issued in days so that people can secure a place to call home.
• The Connection at St Martin’s, which offers day centre services, practical support tailored to each individual’s needs, and a route into longer-term help.
• The Mental Health Fund, supporting organisations to provide innovative and targeted mental health support outside healthcare settings. 
• The Personal Grants project, which is testing direct cash transfers to support people out of homelessness.
• The upcoming Access to Accommodation Fund that will support smaller organisations to unlock and create housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in their local area.

Real Lives Transformed

Every year, we hear from people whose lives have changed because of your generosity. For nearly a century, the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal has made these stories possible. Each donation represents a real life transformed.

Carla’s story

Take Carla, for instance. After two decades of rough sleeping, she came to The Connection at St Martin’s and met her key worker, Chloe, who secured her a room in a women-only hostel. For the first time in years, she felt safe. Over the following months, Carla began to rebuild her confidence, joining group activities, looking after her wellbeing, and becoming more independent. 

This year, Carla will be taking an exciting next step — moving into her very own flat. She says she’s looking forward to the peace and quiet, and the independence this brings. With support from Genevieve, her support worker at The Connection, Carla is settling in, getting to know her local area, and embracing a fresh start.

Elvira’s story

Then there’s Elvira, who was pushed into homelessness after a series of difficult, controlling and abusive relationships left her in debt. After contacting her local council, she was moved into a women’s supported accommodation home run by Rowan Alba’s Psychology in Hostels programme – funded by our Mental Health Fund. At first, she was very anxious and couldn’t even leave her room due to fear. 

But over the past couple of years, Elvira has been building her confidence, with support from Rowan Alba’s psychologist Sarah. For the past few months, she’s been living in her own flat and taking pride in creating a space that feels like home.

Stories like Carla’s and Elvira’s show that your support goes far beyond Christmas. It offers safety, stability, and a second chance so that people can rebuild their lives. 

Looking Ahead: The 2025 Appeal

This year, the BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal returns with a theme that feels more timely than ever: Home. 

It’s a word we say easily, almost casually, at this time of year. “Are you going home for Christmas?” “Will you be spending Christmas at home?” But for thousands across the UK, the answer isn’t simple. Some don’t have a home to return to. Others are living in hostels, sleeping in cars, or moving from place to place just to stay safe. 

The Appeal, now entering its 99th year, reminds us what home really means: safety, warmth and a sense of belonging. And through programmes like our emergency grants or services funded through our Mental Health Fund and upcoming Access to Accommodation Fund, we’re helping more people across the UK move closer to that sense of home again. 

Listeners can tune in to BBC Radio 4 to hear this year’s broadcasts: 

• The Christmas Appeal with Revd Dr Sam Wells — Sunday 7th December at 7:54am, 9:26pm, and Thursday 11th December at 3:27pm.
• Making a Difference with Hugh Dennis — Sunday 7th December at 9:45am and 7:45pm, and Friday 12th December at 3:45pm. 

As we launch the 99th Appeal, we continue to be guided by the compassion that first inspired it almost 100 years ago. The world has changed in so many ways since then, but the belief that everyone deserves a place to call home has not.