Dickens and Charity

In celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, actor Simon Callow wrote of him: ‘The reason I love him so deeply is that, having experienced the lower depths, he never ceased, till the day he died, to commit himself, both in his work and in his life, to trying to right the wrongs inflicted by society, above all, perhaps by giving the dispossessed a voice’.

Affected by his own family’s financial difficulties, Dickens supported the Ragged Schools which were set up to educate children living in poverty, and also campaigned for housing reform and sanitation. He was well known for his generosity, and throughout his life supported over 43 charitable organisations, giving his time, money and pushing those who were wealthier to contribute too.

In October 1843, Dickens gave a talk at an educational charity for working men and women in Manchester. Walking the streets of the city afterwards, Dickens was struck by the extreme poverty he witnessed, which had been accelerated by the recent rapid industrialisation. By December 1843, Dickens had finished A Christmas Carol, and it was published by Christmas. The biographer Michael Slater wrote that the novella was a way to ‘help open the hearts of the prosperous and powerful towards the poor and powerless’.

As a registered charity itself, The Old Vic believes that it is vital to encourage all who visit to support others. Over the last seven years, over £1.5 million has been raised globally for food poverty and deprivation-focused charities including Field Lane, The Felix Project, Coram Beanstalk, FoodCycle, FareShare and City Harvest London.

This year, The Old Vic will raise money in aid of Waterloo Foodbank throughout the run of A Christmas Carol. The charity, which has its base minutes from The Old Vic, will be the recipient of donations at the end of every performance throughout the show’s run.

Since 2011, the Waterloo Foodbank has been providing vital food distribution services alongside other support services and pastoral care. This includes a free fresh food cooked breakfast and food stall every Friday morning in Waterloo. Last year, the Waterloo Foodbank, working with its partners, provided over 27,000 people with food and other practical support, of which 65% were children. The work of the Waterloo Foodbank’s many dedicated volunteers and staff changes lives every single day, restoring dignity and bringing health and hope to community members in need.