Your starter for ten

If you support SHINE’s work and want to do something to help – great! Do email SHINE or call on 020 8393 1880 to let us know what you are thinking of doing and to see if we can help in any way.

Obviously, you may already have a cunning plan you can call your own; if not, here are 10(ish) ideas to get you started...

1. Compete for SHINE

Whether it’s a triathlon, an Iron Man or a golf tournament, why not ask your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you?

2. Sponsor SHINE

Our Benefit Dinner will take place this November and there has never been a better opportunity to get your company’s name up in lights.

3. Dine for SHINE

Alternatively, simply buy a table! Past events have featured Lulu, Sister Sledge and Kool and the Gang – you’d be mad to miss it.

4. Speak for SHINE

If you regularly speak at industry events, you can ask for your speakers' fee (or equivalent) to be donated to SHINE.

5. Sprint for SHINE

Actually, 'sprint' may be too optimistic but joining team SHINE for this year’s Windsor Half Marathon is guaranteed to get your pulse racing.

6. Opine for SHINE

Are you an expert? Are you ever asked to write articles for newspapers, magazines or trade journals? If so, why not ask your editor to donate the fee for your latest piece to you know who?

7. Party for SHINE

If you're getting married – or getting older – spice up your gift list by giving family and friends the chance to support SHINE. Much easier than schlepping round the shops...

8. Wine for SHINE

Organise your own event – perhaps a wine tasting or a drinks party – and ask your friends to make a donation. (You could just as easily hold a garden party or BBQ, but they don’t rhyme with SHINE.)

9. Work with SHINE

We are always interested in hearing about new partnership or joint funding opportunities and have a queue of schools eager to sign up. Interested? Let us know.

10. Double SHINE

If you do choose to donate, ask your employer to match your gift. Many firms do this if you make payroll donations (which are also splendidly tax-efficient).

11. Yes, eleven!

Because we're all about adding value. Whatever you do, however you help, whenever possible, GiftAid it!


No matter what your interest, hobby or sport may be, there’s bound to be some way in which you can support SHINE’s work. With your help, we can offer even the most disadvantaged child a better future through good education. So whatever you choose to do – thank you.

Click here to Support SHINE
By the age of 5, disadvantaged children have a vocabulary almost one year behind that of children from middle income families|The Sutton Trust, 2010||Every year, well over 1 in 3 children receiving free school meals leave primary school with substandard maths and English - around twice as many as children not on free school meals|National Statistics, 2010||Last year, only 27% of students eligible for free school meals achieved five or more A*-C GCSEs (including English and maths) - around half the national average|National Statistics, 2010||Disadvantaged students that do perform well at GCSE are still less likely to go onto higher education at all, let alone to a Russell Group university|The Sutton Trust, 2010||Since August 2000, we have invested £14.5 million in projects in London and Manchester||This money is now helping more than 49,000 children from almost 2,000 schools