The 2017 campaign supports three charities working with homeless young people and destitute refugees and asylum seekers

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Readers have raised more than £1.25m in the Guardian and Observer appeal for three homelessness charities.

The 2017 appeal, which continues until 7 January, is in aid of the youth homelessness charities Centrepoint and Depaul UK, and the No Accommodation Network (Naccom), which supports local organisations providing shelter for destitute refugees and asylum seekers.

“It is brilliant that this new milestone has been passed because of the immense generosity of Guardian and Observer readers. We cannot thank them enough for what they have done to help young homeless people,” said Depaul UK’s interim chief executive, Ian Brady.

Who are the charities we're supporting with our 2017 charity appeal? Read more

The often life-changing interventions made by our appeal charities and their volunteers are explored in an ongoing series of special features and films published in our newspapers and on the Guardian website.

Seyi Obakin, Centrepoint’s chief executive, said: “We are so grateful for all the support from Guardian and Observer readers, and for the opportunity to demonstrate the fantastic potential of the young people we work with at Centrepoint. Your generous donations are what make the vital services you have read about possible. Thank you.”

The national director of Naccom, Hazel William, said: “We cannot thank the Observer and Guardian readers enough for their generous donations. These funds are much needed by our members to ensure that asylum seekers and refugees can access a roof over their head and a chance at rebuilding their lives.”

Centrepoint and Depaul UK offer services that aim to provide shelter and support to homeless 16 to 25-year-olds. Naccom represents a network of more than 40 local charities and projects that specialise in housing asylum seekers, refugees and migrants who have no recourse to public funds.

Naccom will use its share of the Guardian and Observer appeal donations to build the capacity of its network and support frontline projects via a selective grants process that will be open to its full members.

Launching the appeal a fortnight ago, the Guardian and Observer’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, said the campaign was a response to the “increasingly visible and distressing” rise in homelessness and destitution.

The 2016 Guardian and Observer charity appeal raised £1.7m for three refugee charities. The previous year’s appeal raised £2.5m for six refugee charities.