Just under 300,000 people nominated good causes as part of a Christmas fundraising scheme that saw 120 charities win £1,000 each.

Insurer Ecclesiastical asked people to nominate good causes for its annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.

This saw £120,000 shared between 120 charities over the festive period.

In details released today the insurer has revealed that 285,000 people took part, with 3,927 charitable causes receiving votes.

The winning charities were picked at random from those nominated.

Among charities to benefit is the learning disabilities charity the Royal Mencap Society and Cavendish Cancer Care, which is based in Sheffield.

“We help people move past the shock of diagnosis, take back control over what can be an incredibly overwhelming situation and live well, during and long after cancer treatment. This funding will help us to expand our new services and provide more families with the care they need during an incredibly difficult time,” said a Cavendish Care spokesperson.

“Specifically, it will fund around 40 hours of individually-tailored therapy for cancer patients, their carers and their children, who may be struggling more than ever to understand and come to terms with what is happening.”

A Royal Mencap Society spokesman said: “The pandemic has been hard on our charity and has had such an impact, the £1,000 will help us to better support people with a learning disability and continue to provide the vital services across the UK – thank you.”

Ecclesiastical group chief executive Mark Hews added: “We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference to the incredible work that charities do, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this financial boost will change lives for the better. We hope these donations can bring a positive end to a difficult year and a promising start to 2021.”

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