Text Santa will return for its four year is Christmas

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Text Santa, ITV's annual charity fundraiser, will return in December 2014 to raise money and awareness for another six UK based charities. The appeal has raised £15 million for charities since it started in 2011.

Ant & Dec, Phillip Schofield, Holly Willoughby, Christine Bleakley and Paddy McGuinness hosted the 2013 live show, which was broadcast on 20th December and was watched by a peak audience of 6.1 million people.

UK based charities were invited to apply to become a Text Santa beneficiary earlier this year for 2014's appeal and following a stringent selection process, we are proud to announce the six that were chosen. They are:

Alzheimer's Society

One in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia. There is no cure but with the right support it is possible to live well with the condition.

Alzheimers Society staff and volunteers provide over 2,000 services for people affected by dementia in our communities. These range from Dementia Support Workers, providing practical advice from diagnosis onwards, to social activities like Singing for the brain', bringing people together in a safe and friendly environment.

Alzheimer's Society improves the lives of people with dementia and their carers by helping them remain part of their community for longer.

Guide Dogs

Every hour, someone in the UK loses their sight and Guide Dogs is there to support them every single step of the way. 180,000 people with sight loss rarely leave home alone. Guide Dogs offers services to tackle this issue, empowering people who are blind or partially sighted to live life as they choose. This includes the guide dog service, My Guide volunteer guides and Buddy Dogs for children. As part of the Guide Dogs family, Blind Children UK provides practical and emotional support for children with sight loss, and their families.

Marie Curie Cancer Care

A returning charity from 2012, Marie Curie Nurses provide free care to people with any terminal illness in their own homes and in the charity's nine hospices. They have also recently launched the Marie Curie Helper service. Marie Curie Helpers are trained volunteers who provide invaluable companionship and emotional support, as well as practical help, to people with terminal illnesses, in their own homes and completely free of charge.

Teenage Cancer Trust

Teenage Cancer Trust's vision is a future where young people's lives don't stop because they have cancer. They bring young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts, alongside people their own age, in an environment designed just for them - giving them the best quality of life and the greatest possible chance of survival. Teenage Cancer Trust Nurses and Youth Support Coordinators ensure that young people and their families receive the personalised, specialist care and emotional support they need. They are the only charity in the UK dedicated to making this happen. They also educate and empower young people in schools and colleges across the UK with knowledge about cancer, its signs and symptoms and possible prevention.

Together for Short Lives

A returning charity from 2012, Together for Short Lives is the leading charity for UK children's hospices. They support those who help, love and care for the 49,000 children and young people who are unlikely to reach adulthood. They work with the UK's 52 children's hospice services and a range of other services across the country so that every child, young person and their family has the best possible care and support whenever and wherever they need it. Children's hospices offer a lifeline to families, helping ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances to cope with the challenges of daily life. From the moment of diagnosis, for whatever life holds, they help to ensure families make the most of their precious time together.

WellChild

There are thousands of children and young people in the UK living with a long-term or complex health condition. WellChild is the national charity working to ensure the best possible care and support for all these children and their families wherever they are and whenever they need it. They aim to help children out of long-term hospital care, and into their own homes through the care and attention of their UK-wide team of WellChild Nurses who provide practical and emotional support. They give these families the tools and support they need to deal with their child's illness both in the hospital and back at home once theyve returned.

Text Santa is an important part of ITVs Corporate Responsibility programme, using its reach to millions of people to help inspire, engage and empower viewers to make a difference. The organisation does not make any profit from the appeal and is proud that, with investment from ITV and support from Text Santas official partners, 100% of donations made by viewers go directly to the charities Text Santa supports.

- Ends -

Notes to Editors:

ITVs corporate responsibility campaigns use the combined influence of our programmes, online platforms and celebrity talent, to highlight causes and make a difference. The highlight for ITV is Text Santa, raising over £5.1 million for six UK charities last year which were: Age UK, Barnardo's, BeatBullying, British Heart Foundation, CLIC Sargent and Help the Hospices

The chosen charities, whose work was highlighted on the ITV primetime show, reported impacts such as a 2300% increase in volunteering, 3.5 million social media impressions on the night of the appeal show, and a 476% increase in traffic on websites/social media compared to the same period last year.

ITV Text Santa funding has enabled Age UK to run handyperson services through its network of local Age UKs. This invaluable local service assists with small repairs in the home, energy efficiency checks, draught proofing and snow c

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