Fundraising wins Aid Match support

Tuesday 17th April 2012

The first £5 million donated during Christian Aid Week will be matched by the Government.

The scheme has qualified for UK Aid Match which means every pound donated will be matched by the Department for International Development (DFID), helping the charity to support more people in poor communities around the world to work their way out of poverty.

Christian Aid, the charity behind Britain's longest running door-to-door fundraising week, says funds will receive a "substantial boost" thanks to the scheme.

Loretta Minghella, director of Christian Aid, said: "Christian Aid Week has been running for 55 years and this is the first time we have received this kind of match funding for it. It's a major boost to our fundraising efforts in an increasingly difficult economic climate."

The Christian Aid UK Aid Match money will be used to support poor communities in Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Africa, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Burma to improve access to healthcare and build sustainable livelihoods.

Andrew Mitchell, Secretary of State for International Development, said: "For over half a century, the British public has shown its support for Christian Aid's work to ensure people in poor communities around the world get a chance to work their own way out of poverty.

"In recognition of that fantastic generosity, we're looking to match pound-for-pound the first £5 million donated during Christian Aid Week to help the charity reach over one million more people."

UK Aid Match, introduced in June 2011, allows the public to have a say in how some of the existing UK aid budget is spent by match funding selected charity appeals for poverty reduction work carried out in developing countries. All the Aid Match funding will be spent over three years.

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