BBC One Lifeline Appeal

Posted on: December 2, 2022

If you would like to apply for a BBC Radio 4 or BBC One Lifeline Appeal, please email the BBC Charity Appeals Unit telling us:

• Name of your charity
• Your Charity Registration number (you must be registered with the UK Charity Commission to be eligible)
• Name of charity contact (email + phone no.) i.e. the person who is going to fill out the application form

These applications are assessed by external assessor and by the BBC’s Appeals Advisory Committee. It takes around a year to complete the process of having a broadcast appeal.

Deadlines for submitting an application

The Appeals Advisory Committee meets quarterly to discuss and approve applications. You should be informed of their decision approximately 3 months after the application deadline. Please note you must meet the criteria in order to be eligible for an appeal.

Do you meet the criteria?

• You are a UK charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
• 3 years have passed since you had a BBC broadcast appeal
• Your work has UK-wide or international scope and/or significance
• You can provide two sets of audited or independently examined accounts
• You have up to date management accounts within a 3 month period
• You have waited 2 years since your last unsuccessful application

Following on from the decision by the Charity Commission to change the threshold for charities needing audited accounts from £500,000 to £1 million, we have reviewed and changed the criteria so charities with independently examined accounts are now eligible.

As of 22 September 2015, all applications for BBC broadcast appeals are required to submit a completed 18 month cashflow. A template and example cashflow documents can be downloaded below:

• Cashflow template.xlsx file
• Completed cashflow document (example).xlsx file

A BBC appeal cannot support

• Animal Welfare
• Restoration or repair of buildings, new building or extension work
• Religious organisations that are seeking to proselytise or whose beneficiaries are of a particular faith
• Fund or charities which exist to maintain or establish physical memorials
• Benefits provided by trade or professional organisations’ benevolent fund which are unavailable to the general public
• Activities where donations would replace funding or services normally provided by central government and local authorities
• Local charities that operate within limited geographical areas
• Charities that are members of the Disasters Emergency Committee

Can the BBC donate merchandise or prizes for a charity auction?

The BBC receives many requests for raffle and auction prizes from a range of good causes. Unfortunately we are unable to help as it would be difficult for us to favour one charitable cause over another and would bring into question fair trading.

Author: Alliance Admin
Posted: 02/12/2022
Categories: News