BIG GIVE APPEAL DOUBLES DONATIONS AS SKY LARKS SEEKS TO EXPAND SPECIALIST CHILDREN’S SUPPORT
A London charity that supports children with additional needs is making a final appeal to donors as it races to meet its £85,000 Big Give Christmas fundraising target before the campaign closes next week.
Skylarks, founded in 2006 and now supporting more than 7,000 children and families across the UK, warned that rising demand for specialist support continues to far exceed available provision. The charity said the Big Give campaign, which runs from 2 to 9 December 2025, is its most important annual fundraising moment, offering donors the chance to double their contribution.
Every pound donated during the campaign is matched by Skylarks’ Big Give champion, Reed Educational Trust Ltd, and pledger, The Hampton Fund. The matched funding mechanism effectively doubles the impact of each donation, providing an opportunity to expand essential services that many families are unable to find elsewhere.
The charity delivers free therapies, inclusive activities and practical life-skills programmes designed to reduce isolation and help families navigate the challenges associated with additional needs. Skylarks’ SEND Advice Service, which provides expert one-to-one guidance, peer support and nationwide webinars, continues to experience significant demand. The service helps parents navigate a complex and often confusing education system—one that many describe as increasingly difficult to access.
Families can also access a broad range of counselling therapies online or in person. Skylarks triages urgent mental health cases rapidly, ensuring that children and parents do not face prolonged delays. Standard cases are also seen far more quickly than national waiting lists, which can extend for years. The charity says this early, free intervention can be life-changing.
For families, the impact is often profound.
One parent said: “Skylarks is not only a wonderful source of support for special needs children but for their parents. Knowing that someone is there to share the load, give invaluable advice or offer a quiet moment of respite whilst my daughter is transported away to play with a Skylarks team member is priceless.”
Another added: “Skylarks is a small local charity that punches well above their weight, providing remarkable, well-timed, well-presented services and support to parents and children across the spectrum. We couldn’t survive without their help.”
Deirdre Carswell, Head of Fundraising at Skylarks, said the final days of the campaign are critical as the charity seeks to secure long-term support for families facing growing pressures.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity shown so far – but we still need help to reach our £85,000 target. The Big Give Christmas is the best time of the year to support Skylarks because every donation is doubled. Meeting our target will enable us to continue delivering vital therapies, expert guidance and hands-on support to families who urgently need it. We’re asking individuals and businesses to please – stand with us and help create real, long-lasting change.”
Over nearly two decades, Skylarks has grown from a small parent-led community group into a national support hub offering speech and language therapy, drama and music sessions, osteopathy, martial arts, employability training, parent wellbeing programmes and inclusive holiday activities.
With the Big Give deadline approaching, the charity is urging the public, businesses and community organisations to donate or share the appeal. Contributions made before midday on 9 December will be matched pound for pound.
The charity said achieving the £85,000 target would allow it to expand much-needed specialist support at a time when many families depend on its services as a lifeline.
