The Story Of Christmas

Charity Number: 1145066

Annual Expenditure: £1.0M

Geographic Focus: Throughout London

Stay updated on changes from The Story Of Christmas and other funders

Get daily notifications about new funding opportunities, deadline changes, and programme updates from UK funders.

Free Email Updates

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: £1,000,000+ (2024: £1 million raised for first time)
Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation/selection process)
Decision Time: Charities selected annually, typically announced at Spring launch reception
Grant Range: Capital projects - individual grant amounts not disclosed
Geographic Focus: Primarily London (M25 area), some UK-wide projects
Founded: 1978
Charity Number: 1145066

Contact Details

Email: info@socappeal.com

Website: www.socappeal.com

Address: The Story of Christmas Appeal, charity-based operations in London

Key Contact: Marc Corbett-Weaver, Artistic Director & Chief Executive

Overview

The Story of Christmas is a unique grant-making charity founded in 1978 that operates through an annual Christmas charity concert and auction, primarily supported by the property and construction industries. Registered as a charity in 2011 (Charity Number 1145066), the organization raises funds through an annual event comprising a service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St George's Hanover Square, followed by a champagne reception and charity auction. In 2024, for the first time in its 47-year history, the event raised over £1 million. The charity focuses exclusively on capital projects benefitting homeless individuals and disadvantaged/disabled children, primarily within the M25 area. Income is generated through sponsorship of pages in an annual souvenir brochure, live charity auctions, and silent auctions. With total income of £890,842 in the 2023/24 financial year and expenditure of £844,825 entirely on charitable activities, the organization operates with a lean structure of 2 employees, 9 trustees, and 50 volunteers.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Story of Christmas funds capital projects only - focusing on physical improvements, equipment, and facility upgrades rather than operational costs or salaries. Recent grant amounts for individual projects are not publicly disclosed, but the charity typically supports 10-15 projects annually.

Application Method: No public application process - beneficiaries are selected by trustees and announced at Spring launch reception

Priority Areas

1. Homelessness Support

Refurbishment of accommodation and support facilities
Creation of medical rooms and healthcare facilities in hostels
Kitchen upgrades for meal provision services
Employability hubs and training spaces
Essential infrastructure (boilers, heating systems)
Therapy rooms and counselling spaces

Recent examples:

HARP: Multi-use recovery programme space supporting 900 people experiencing homelessness annually
Single Homeless Project (SHP): Employability hub supporting 300 people, medical rooms and defibrillators (2023)
The Passage: Kitchen renovation at Assessment Centre
Depaul: Furnishing three houses for young people at risk of serious youth violence
St Christopher's Fellowship: New boilers in six homes for homeless young people
Webber Street Homeless Day Centre: Facility upgrades

2. Disadvantaged and Disabled Children

Areas of support include:

Mental health therapy rooms in schools
Sensory rooms for autistic children
Outdoor learning and play spaces
Educational music programmes and facilities
Theatre and performing arts facilities
Hospital experience improvements
Natural play spaces for disabled children

Recent examples:

Place2Be: Refurbishment of 25 therapy rooms and counsellor offices in London schools (2022-2023)
Beyond Autism: Sensory room upgrades
Clapton Common Boys Club: Natural play space for children of all abilities
Chickenshed: Theatre flooring replacement to improve accessibility
Helen Bamber Foundation: Therapy room for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery
Starlight: Specialized resources for children's hospital experiences
The Tim Henman Foundation: Performing arts facilities upgrade at Cordwalles Junior School

3. Youth Support and Education

Residential home refurbishments
Mentoring programme resources
School playground transformations
Music education equipment

Recent examples:

Kids Network: 1-to-1 mentoring for 8-11 year olds (aiming to reach 1,000 children over three years)
Restore the Music UK: Music education in deprived state schools (reached 80,000+ students)
Run Kids Run: Transforming concrete school playgrounds into green play areas
Firebird for Schools: Orchestral concerts for children with limited music education access
West London Mission KPH: Refurbishing spaces for young men leaving criminal justice system

Geographic Focus: Primarily serves individuals within the M25 geographical area (Greater London) unless the trustees decide otherwise, though some projects extend UK-wide.

What They Don't Fund

Based on their charitable objects and funding history:

Operational costs or salaries
General running expenses
Projects outside their core areas (homelessness and children's welfare)
Non-capital projects
Individual grants to people (only to organizations)
International projects
Projects without a clear capital element

Ready to write a winning application for The Story Of Christmas?

Our AI helps you craft proposals that match their exact priorities. Save hours and increase your success rate.

Learn more >

Governance and Leadership

Patron and Honorary Positions

Patron: The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Lord Bishop of London

Life President: Dame Judi Dench CH DBE

President: Ian Hislop

Deputy President: Aled Jones MBE

Board of Trustees

Chairman: Ian Womack

Vice Chair: Emily Bohill (joined as trustee in 2020)

Trustees:

Tony Chambers (supporter for around 20 years)
Nick Howe
Andrew Hynard
David Sleath OBE
Gabi Stein
Lady Sutton (Gay)
Rob Walker

Founder Trustees

Andrew Braddon OBE
Michael Fraser
David Turner
Howard Woollaston

Executive Team

Artistic Director & Chief Executive: Marc Corbett-Weaver (organizing the event since 2009, appointed Artistic Director & CEO when charity restructured in 2011)

Honorary Treasurer: Zoe O'Brien

Company Secretary: Rory Graham

Marc Corbett-Weaver, a solo classical pianist and artistic director, coordinates the selection of charitable projects and grant-giving.

Additional Committees

The charity operates with support from:

Fundraising Committee
Auction Team
Honorary Vice Presidents
Executive Vice Presidents
Ambassadors (programme launched in 2022, contributing to record-breaking fundraising)

How to Apply to The Story Of Christmas

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Story of Christmas operates through trustee selection rather than open applications. Beneficiary organizations are selected internally by the trustees and the Artistic Director & CEO, Marc Corbett-Weaver. Selected charitable projects are typically announced at a Spring launch reception, several months before the December fundraising event.

The charity raises funds through its annual December event and then distributes grants to the pre-selected beneficiary organizations. Organizations cannot submit unsolicited applications for funding consideration.

Getting on Their Radar

While there is no formal application process, the following approaches may increase visibility to the trustees:

Property and Construction Industry Connections: The Story of Christmas is strongly supported by the property and construction industries. Organizations with connections to this sector, or whose trustees/patrons include property industry figures, may be more likely to come to the attention of the charity's decision-makers. Major historic supporters have included Allsop, The Duke of Westminster, Knight Frank, Hammerson, and MEPC.

Focus on Capital Projects: The charity has a clear preference for capital projects that create tangible, lasting improvements. Organizations planning significant capital improvements to facilities serving homeless individuals or disadvantaged children should emphasize the capital nature of the project when networking within relevant circles.

London Focus: Given the geographic focus on the M25 area, organizations delivering services to homeless individuals or disadvantaged children in Greater London are the primary beneficiary pool.

Contact for Enquiries: All enquiries should be directed to Marc Corbett-Weaver at info@socappeal.com. However, there is no indication that enquiries will lead to funding opportunities - this is for general questions only.

Attend Industry Events: Given the property and construction industry connection, organizations might benefit from attending industry charity events where trustees and supporters may be present, though specific networking opportunities are not documented.

Decision Timeline

Spring (typically March-May): Launch reception announcing selected charitable projects for the year
December: Annual fundraising event (Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at St George's Hanover Square, followed by champagne reception and charity auction at Sheraton Grand London Park Lane)
Throughout the year: Grant distribution to selected beneficiaries

The charity operates on an annual cycle, with a small number of beneficiary organizations (typically 10-15) selected each year.

Success Rates

Success rates are not applicable as there is no public application process. The charity selects beneficiaries through internal trustee discretion.

In 2023, the charity supported 14 different projects.

In 2024, the charity supported 13 different projects.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no application process. However, organizations can be selected as beneficiaries in multiple years. For example, Place2Be received funding in both 2022 and 2023, and Single Homeless Project (SHP) was supported in both 2023 and 2024.

Application Success Factors

Since there is no application process, the following factors appear to influence which organizations are selected as beneficiaries based on analysis of recent funding patterns:

1. Strong Capital Project Focus

ALL funded projects are capital in nature - physical improvements, equipment, facilities. Examples include:

Therapy room refurbishments (Place2Be)
Kitchen renovations (The Passage)
Outdoor play space creation (Clapton Common Boys Club)
Medical room installations (SHP)
Boiler replacements (St Christopher's Fellowship)

2. Clear Alignment with Charitable Objects

Projects must demonstrably serve either:

Homeless individuals (relief of poverty, provision of support, accommodation, work/education opportunities)
Sick or disadvantaged children and young people (advancing health, improving quality of life)

3. London/M25 Geographic Connection

The vast majority of funded projects serve beneficiaries within Greater London, in line with the charity's stated geographic focus “within the M25 geographical area unless the directors otherwise decide.”

4. Measurable Impact

Successful projects articulate clear impact metrics:

HARP: “will support 900 people experiencing homelessness annually”
SHP employability hub: “will support 300 people experiencing homelessness”
Restore the Music UK: “reached 80,000+ students”
Kids Network: “aiming to reach 1,000 children over three years”

5. Organizational Credibility

Beneficiary organizations are typically well-established charities with proven track records:

Centrepoint (major homelessness charity)
Place2Be (established mental health charity)
Depaul (international homelessness organization)
Beyond Autism (specialized autism support)

6. Project Scale Appropriate to Charity's Capacity

With annual giving around £800,000-£1,000,000 distributed across 10-15 projects, successful projects appear to be sized appropriately (estimated £50,000-£150,000 range, though specific amounts are not disclosed).

7. Tangible Deliverables

Funded projects have clear, specific deliverables:

“25 therapy rooms and counsellor offices”
“15 defibrillators”
“three houses”
“warehouse expansion for additional 50,000 meals monthly”

8. Property/Construction Industry Alignment

Given the charity's strong support base in the property and construction industries, projects involving building work, refurbishments, or facility improvements naturally align with supporter interests and expertise.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application Process: This charity does not accept applications. Beneficiaries are selected by trustees through an internal process. Understanding this is crucial - there is no point preparing an application.

Capital Projects Only: 100% of funded projects are capital improvements (facilities, equipment, infrastructure). If your project is operational or salary-based, it will not align with this funder's approach.

London Focus Essential: While the charity can fund UK-wide projects at trustees' discretion, the overwhelming majority of beneficiaries serve people within the M25 area. London-based projects have significantly higher chances of selection.

Two Clear Beneficiary Categories: You must serve either (a) homeless individuals or (b) disadvantaged/disabled children and young people. Projects outside these areas are not funded.

Property Industry Connections May Help: Given the charity's origins and supporter base in property and construction, organizations with connections to this sector may have better visibility to decision-makers, though this is not documented as a formal pathway.

Annual Selection Cycle: The charity selects 10-15 beneficiaries per year, announced at a Spring launch reception. This is a highly selective process with only a small number of organizations benefitting annually.

Measurable Impact Matters: Even without an application process, the projects selected demonstrate clear, quantifiable impact metrics. If networking with trustees, being able to articulate specific numbers (people served, facilities created) appears important.

Consider Multi-Year Potential: Some organizations have been selected in multiple years (Place2Be, SHP), suggesting that delivering successful projects may lead to future support for different capital projects.