This year we’re taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge to raise vital funds for our programming and learning work. For seven days only, from midday on Tuesday 2 December to midday on Tuesday 9 December, any donations you make through the Big Give website will be doubled at no extra cost to you.
Your support will ensure we can deliver a vibrant season of programming, enabling people of all ages and backgrounds, including care leavers, to explore our rich musical history and the Foundling Hospital’s enduring legacy of in supporting young people in need.
A gem of a museum and one with such an uplifting story.
What is the Big Give Christmas Challenge?
The Big Give Christmas Challenge is the UK’s largest online match-funding campaign.
For one week, participating charities have all donations made via the Big Give website doubled, thanks to generous match funding from trusts and individuals. So that’s one donation, twice the impact.
This year we’re lucky to receive generous match funding from Reed Educational Trust, and four kind supporters of the Foundling Museum.
Why are we raising money for programming and learning?
As the only cultural institution in the UK celebrating care-experienced people and carers, we continue Handel’s great legacy of raising awareness and funds to reduce the stigma felt by young care leavers.
Each year 10,000 young people leave the care system and, as in Handel’s day, the stigma of growing up in care continues to seriously impact a young person’s life chances and sense of positive life purpose.
Through our exhibitions, public events and learning programme, we are helping young care leavers, mothers, and carers share their stories with visitors, change-makers, and each other. Our award-winning training programme for young care leavers – Tracing Our Tales – provides unique and critical support, giving trainees a solid foundation for the future. Most importantly, it gives the young people the chance to feel at home in a museum that truly champions their lives.
The campaign
We’re aiming to raise £50,000 during the Big Give week.
This money will enable us to:
- Host a season of programming which celebrates the enduring legacy of Handel’s fundraising efforts, linked to our exhibition A Grand Chorus: The Power of Music
- Deliver learning programmes for local families, children in care, and young care leavers to explore our rich musical history and powerful story
What could your donation fund
- £10 helps provide a welcoming tea break for young leavers at weekly creative sessions, giving them time to connect, share experiences and build supportive friendships
- £80 could help support our Tracing Our Tales trainees to work as Artist Assistants for our family workshops, developing their confidence, social and employment skills
- £160 could contribute towards providing high quality art materials for all participants in our training sessions for young care leavers
- £250 could help to employ professional artists to train, teach, and mentor our Tracing Our Tales trainees during weekly creative sessions
I have one very happy and profoundly changed young person. This is down to you and your traineeship!
