charity is at the heart of ducfs.
Over the years, we have been proud to support a wide range of charities, turning the money raised through our events into meaningful, tangible projects.
Explore our history to discover where the money raised each year went, which charity it supported, and the difference those funds helped make.
2026 Charity: MARIE CURIE
£206,000 Raised
In 2026, we raised £206K for Marie Curie and £34K for Launchpad. DUCFS partnered with Marie Curie to raise money to fund the following initiatives:
Durham Companions Service - the service offers free emotional and practical support to anyone over 18 affected by terminal illness. This support comes in various ways such as shopping for food, helping around the house, or providing transport to appointments. Our Companions also support people’s emotional wellbeing, helping them to engage in activities which bring them joy, listening to how they’re feeling without judgment, and combating isolation by offering companionship.
Marie Curie’s North East Clinical Educator – they are responsible for developing and facilitating the training programme for the healthcare staff working in Marie Curie North East, helping Marie Curie to deliver more expert care to more people. They train, induct, and up-skill staff to mentor and develop Marie Curie’s staff to meet national standards and innovate to truly provide the best possible palliative care experience for individuals facing one of the toughest moments in their lives.
Photography By Ollie Turan, DUCFS 2026
2025 Charity: Macmillan cancer support
£190,000 Raised
Prior to our 2025 campaign, there were no clinical psychology services in Durham for people living with cancer. With our focus on creating tangible, lasting change in the local community, DUCFS chose to support Macmillan Cancer Support, a national charity with a strong presence in the North East, committed to helping people with cancer live life as fully as possible, whoever, and wherever they are.
Thanks to the incredible efforts of our team and supporters, we exceeded our fundraising target. This funding enabled the creation of two new psychological support roles in County Durham: a Psychologist and an Assistant Psychologist, providing life-changing psychological support to people living with cancer, filling a critical gap in NHS services in the North East.
From an education perspective, this work is part of a wider programme being implemented across the UK by the Integrated Care Boards (ICB) to improve psychological support for people living with cancer. All learnings will be shared UK-wide, feeding into national NHS teams to support other areas planning to roll out the programme.
To find out more about our work with Macmillan, take a look at our Impact Report.
Photography By Tiana Grindlay, DUCFS 2026
2024 Charity: campaign against living miserably
£190,000 Raised
CALM is a suicide prevention charity, which provides life-saving support to anyone struggling with life. They offer services, information, and advice to help people to navigate their struggles and ensure they have the knowledge and skills to unite against suicide.
We raised £190,000 in support of them, which directly funded two helplines, allowing for 19,547 additional life-saving crisis calls.
“Together, we opened up conversations around the mental health struggles with students. We reached more students than ever and raised an incredible amount of cash” - CALM, 2024.
Photography By Horatio Wong, DUCFS 2025
2023 Charity: RAINBOW TRUST
£178,000 Raised
The Rainbow Trust encapsulated our creative vision which centred around the concept of time. Supporting the families of children with life-threatening or terminal illnesses, the Rainbow Trust pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker. This enables them to make the most of their time together and provides them with both practical and emotional support, whenever, and for as long as needed.
Reflecting our commitment to making a local and tangible change, in 2023 DUCFS raised money to fund four family support workers within the North East for a year.
Through our partnership with the Rainbow Trust, we have enabled 125 families and up to 500 beneficiaries to spend treasured moments with their loved ones.
Photography By Jenny Lin, DUCFS 2025
2022 Charity: Teenage cancer trust
£184,000 Raised
In 2022, our primary goal was to make a local and tangible impact. Therefore, our 2022 campaign chose to support the Teenage Cancer Trust, a national charity that offers world-class cancer services for young people in the UK, with a local unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
DUCFS 2022 raised 205k for the teenage cancer unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, with the first 50k specifically targeted to fund the hospitals lead nurse.
With all young people diagnosed with cancer in County Durham being treated in the Freeman Hospital, the money raised continues to make a direct and meaningful impact.
Photography By Honor Adams, DUCFS 2026
2021 Charity: Create arts
£55,000 Raised (COVID)
In an age where digital connectivity consumes us, DUCFS 2021 explored the power of technology and its importance in aiding human connection in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting the creative arts charity CREATE in collaboration with tech agency 3 sided cube, DUCFS sought to make a tangible impact on the local community. Through funding 3 SIDED CUBES’s work to develop CREATE’s initiatives sustainably and technologically, the project supported the charity’s mission to empower marginalised members of society.
This included helping young carers, people with mental disabilities, and vulnerable elders gain a sense of community and expression through creative mediums.
Photography By Tiana Grindlay, DUCFS 2026
2020 Charity: stop the traffik
£171,000 Raised
In 2020, DUCFS raised £171,000 in support of Fashion Revolution and Stop the Traffik. Aiming to combine humanitarian and environmental causes, DUCFS 2020 focused on tackling worker exploitation across global supply chains.
Recognising the fashion supply chain as a major monetary contributor of modern slavery, DUCFS chose to support Fashion Revolution, a charity that campaigns for greater safety, transparency, and accountability in the fashion industry, alongside Stop the Traffik, which works to prevent human trafficking and exploitation worldwide.
Photography By Horatio Wong, DUCFS 2025
2019 Charity: environmental justice foundation
£150,000 Raised
In 2019, DUCFS turned its attention to the climate crisis by supporting the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), a charity which champions environmental security as a fundamental human right.
EJF works with those on the frontline of environmental destruction to investigate, document and expose environmental and human rights abuses
The £150k raised by DUCFS directly supported EJF’s mission to mobilise concern, build global support, and drive international action for lasting change.
Photography By James Brown, DUCFS 2026