Text Santa

After a successful five year run in which Text Santa has raised over £32 million, for 25 charities, we’ve taken the decision to bring Text Santa to a close and look at developing a new all-year-round appeal for the future.

A huge thank you to everyone who has generously supported Text Santa over the years. Your time, money and support has enabled the charities involved to make such a difference to helping those in difficulty.

100% of public donations has been passed onto our charities each year. You can see how your money has helped and continue to make a difference in the future by visiting textsanta.co.uk.

For more information on our appeals and campaigns running across 2016 keep an eye on itvresponsibility.com or follow us at @ITV_R.

Thank you so much for donating and fundraising for Text Santa Christmas Jumper Day, the total is now up to a staggering £11,000,000!

From Dover to Dumfries, millions of people this December raised money for Text Santa – helping Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children give hope to families in difficulty.

Your amazing efforts will help fund nurses so people with cancer can get the support they need, grant wishes to enrich the lives of children and young people fighting life-threatening conditions and save children’s lives – you’re making a life-changing difference, both here in the UK and overseas.

Find out more about why these charities need your help:

You can also read stories about some of the families who have been helped by our charity partners. Find out how:

Macmillan supported Paul after he was diagnosed with cancer

Make-A-Wish UK granted Amelia’s wish to be a zookeeper for a day

Save the Children ensured Clarisse, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was able to deliver her baby safely.

If you haven't had a chance, then pay in your fundraising money here, now.

ITV's Text Santa raises highest ever total...

Our fifth annual Text Santa appeal has been the most successful ever, increasing the total raised by a staggering 75% from the previous year.

The 2015 appeal, ‘Text Santa Christmas Jumper Day’, saw people all over the country ‘Doing their bit in a Christmas knit’. By the time the donation phone lines had closed on the 8th of January, a staggering £11 million had been raised through the generous support of ITV viewers and the public.

As well as people ‘wearing and donating’, funds were further boosted by High Street favourite, Primark donating £1.50 for every Christmas Jumper sold, which raised an incredible £1million; and the UK Government matched public donations for Save the Children’s international work generating another £2 million!

And it isn’t over yet. You can still pay in your fundraising money online or at your local Barclays branch.

This year’s fundraising means that each of the three Text Santa charities can help give hope to more families across the UK and around the world by funding the vital work of Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish UK and Save the Children. The charities have already received the first instalment of funds raised, with the rest due to follow by April. Further details on Text Santa 2016 to follow.

Since its launch in 2011, Text Santa has now raised more than £32 million, with 100% of all donations going directly to the nominated charities. No money raised through public donations is ever used towards the running of the appeal by ITV.

Phillip Schofield says "Text Santa was even bigger and better in 2015 with an amazing result of £11m helping the three Text Santa charities. I was thrilled to be part of it again, and popping up on lots of ITV programmes. It's a great achievement."

And Alesha Dixon is also sending her thanks “Thank you so much to everyone who donated money for Text Santa, we have raised a record breaking amount of money that will help the lives of so many people. We couldn’t do it without you, thank you”

This year's Text Santa was a record breaker after raising more than £8.5 million by the end of Friday evening.

The show saw Richard Branson make his Corrie debut, a host of celebs tackling the Ninja Warrior course and the Downton Abbey lot searching for a new Father Christmas. Plus, there were live performances from Olly Murs, Little Mix and The X Factor winner Louisa Johnson. You can watch the show in full here or take a look at some of the highlights below.

You can give hope this Christmas by donating to Text Santa. 100% of your donations will be shared equally amongst Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children, going directly to support vital work both in the UK and abroad.

Time travelling fun on the cobbles with a little help from Richard Branson...

How will our celebrities fare against TV's toughest course in a Ninja Warrior special?

In the run-up to this year's Text Santa Christmas Jumper Day we had the likes of Holly Willoughby and Caspar and Joe take our Christmas Jumper Challenge.

In the main show it was Paddy McGuinness's turn to face the jumpers and try to beat the Guinness World Record of putting on 11 jumpers in a minute. But will he succeed?

You can give hope this Christmas by donating to Text Santa. 100% of your donations will be shared equally amongst Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children, going directly to support vital work both in the UK and abroad.

You can give hope this Christmas by donating to Text Santa. 100% of your donations will be shared equally amongst Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children, going directly to support vital work both in the UK and abroad.

Text Santa has raised the highest total ever at £8,383,361 as millions of viewers watched a night to remember on ITV.

In five years of fundraising, Text Santa has now raised over £29,000,000. This year’s proceeds will directly benefit three charities - Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children as 100% of all money raised goes directly to the charities.

Peter Fincham, Director of ITV, said: “This is a fantastic achievement. I want to thank all ITV viewers and our partners who have donated so generously to the Text Santa appeal. All the money will go directly to this year’s charities Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children and will make a real difference to the lives of those who rely on the charities’ support.”

This year viewers saw their favourite celebrities doing their bit in a Christmas knit as the three-hour TV spectacular marked the climax of Text Santa Christmas Jumper Day which encouraged everyone to get out their woolies, join in the festive fun and most importantly donate to Text Santa.

Highlights of the night included Coronation Street stars joined by special guest star Sir Richard Branson, Downton Abbey butler Carson fighting off competition from Sir Bruce Forsyth to fulfill his dream to become the Abbey’s Santa Claus and stars including Mark Wright and Torvill & Dean competing in a special Ninja Warrior UK episode.

Emma Willis, Jennie McAlpine and George Shelley were joined by their parents as Stephen Mulhern presented a one-off special, Big Star's Bigger Star for Text Santa.

But it was Stephen who was in for the biggest shock of all when his father made a surprise appearance.

You can give hope this Christmas by donating to Text Santa. 100% of your donations will be shared equally amongst Macmillan Cancer Support, Make-A-Wish® UK and Save the Children, going directly to support vital work both in the UK and abroad.