For one week only, donations to Firstsite will be doubled through Big Give’s ‘Arts for Impact’ 2026 campaign.
Between midday on Tuesday 17 March and noon on 24 March 2026, all eligible donations made via the Big Give platform will be matched £ for £, giving each gift twice the impact.
The campaign aims to raise £5,500 for Firstsite’s award-winning Holiday Fun programme. Thanks to Firstsite’s Big Give ‘Arts for Impact’ Champion, Arts Council England (ACE), donations up to this target will be matched, with the potential to raise a total of £11,000 to support children and their families across East Anglia.
Funds raised will help provide free nutritious hot meals, creative activities and wellbeing support for children and their families who are facing food insecurity and isolation during the school holidays.
Here’s what your donation could provide: a tenner automatically becomes £20, which could provide materials for hands-on activities for a group of children. Or, a generous £20 will be doubled to £40 which could provide a child with a delicious hot meal and a whole day of Holiday Fun activities, while £50 doubles to £100 and that an hour’s workshop for 30 children.
More than just a day out, the award-winning Holiday Fun project provides a safe and welcoming space where children and their families can relax, learn new skills, and support one another. Guided by the NHS’s 5 Ways to Wellbeing, at its core, Holiday Fun inspires children to express their creativity, fostering confidence and reducing the pressures they may face in their daily lives.
Since launching in 2017, Firstsite’s Holiday Fun programme has provided over 30,000 free meals and delivered more than 1,000 art and sport activities to support local families during the school holidays.
Firstsite Director Sally Shaw MBE said “Holiday Fun has transformed the way Firstsite works. What began as a holiday activity programme has grown into one of the most important ways local families encounter contemporary art. Children come to experiment with materials, meet artists and discover their creativity, while families find a welcoming space where they can spend time together during the holidays. The Big Give allows every donation to go twice as far, helping us ensure that creativity, nourishment and community remain open to everyone.”
Donations must be made through the Big Give website during the campaign week to be matched.
To donate, visit: bit.ly/firstsiteforfamilies
For more information about the campaign and Holiday Fun, visit:
firstsite.uk/firstsiteforfamilies
Can’t donate right now? You can still make a big difference simply by spreading the word and telling your art loving friends and family all about the Big Give.
Remember: donations are doubled for one week only, between 17 and 24 March 2026.
