Virtual Shine summer 2026

Welcome from Leanne

Our welcome for this edition comes from Leanne, our Deputy Director of Care.

“I am truly delighted to be part of the fantastic community at Shooting Star. Every day I’m inspired by the dedication, compassion and expertise that shine through our care for children, young people and their families.

“As we look ahead to delivering our 2026-2030 strategy, I’m excited to be part of Shooting Star’s next chapter, building on our shared successes and driving ongoing improvement across everything we do. This summer edition of Shine reflects that beautifully. From the launch of our brand-new Scout Troop to a deeper dive into our future strategy, there is so much to celebrate and so much to look forward to as we continue to grow and evolve.

“We are united in a shared goal: to be there for every child, young person and family when they need us, for as long as they need us. Thank you for being part of this extraordinary community.”

Latest news

Scout Troop

A truly special milestone was reached at the end of last year, when six young people were officially enrolled into our new Shooting Star Scout Troop. Held at our Guildford hospice, Christopher’s, the Troop aims to give supported children and young people the opportunity to experience the fun and friendship Scouting has to offer.

Our 2026-2030 strategy

Our 2023-2026 strategy, For Every Family, set out a bold ambition – to be there for every family with a child who is life-limited or whose child has died, when they need us. Thanks to your incredible support, we’re reached more families than ever before.

So what comes next? With an ever-changing landscape in healthcare, and more children having increasingly complex medical conditions, our Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Jo Cohen, reflects on where we’re heading for our 2026-2030 strategy.

Saanvi's story

Bansi and Dipak were left heartbroken when their daughter, Saanvi, died suddenly in her sleep on 22 December 2024, at just eight months old. With no illness, no warning signs and an evening filled with laughter the night before, the shock was unimaginable.

Mum, Bansi and grandmother, Raju, share their story.

Watch on YouTube

Features

A look inside our donation centre

At the heart of our retail operation is our donation centre, the behind-the-scenes hub that helps keep our eight (soon to be nine!) running smoothly.

Since opening, the donation centre has steadily evolved to meet the growing needs of both our charity and the wider community.

A day in the life of our Social Media and Content Officer

There’s something special about being trusted to tell other people’s stories. Being in the Communications and Marketing team provides the opportunity to step into moments that are joyful, emotional and deeply meaningful and to share them in a way that feels honest, respectful and full of heart.

Fabulous Fundraisers

Keepie-uppie king!

Professional freestyler, Dan Magness, was truly on the ball this December as he took on an extraordinary challenge of completing 1 million keepy-uppies in just 25 days to raise money for Shooting Star. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he completed the challenge on tour, travelling around Surrey, including our Guildford hospice Christopher’s and Hampton site, Shooting Star House. Dan clocked in 20,000 – 40,000 keepy-uppies a day, raising an amazing £1,350. Huge thanks for ‘keepy-upping’ the good work Dan!

Fourfront 25-hour cycle

Long-standing corporate supporters, Fourfront really put the pedal to the medal as their team took on a round-the-clock cycling challenge. With two static bikes spinning continuously for 12.5 hours each, the aim was the cover 600km and raise £15,000! With staff tagging in and out in an amazing ‘wheel’ team effort, they powered through to reach 671.61km, exceeding the distance and target – raising £17,193! Well done to every rider who took part!

Huge success 'fir' our christmas tree collection!

We’re thrilled to share our 2026 Christmas tree collection has been our most successful ever. An impressive 1,081 trees were registered (that’s 305 more than last year) which helped raise a phenomenal £31,000! None of this would be possible without our dedicated volunteers and wonderful partners who help make this effort both sustainable and tree-mendously impactful. Thank you for helping us round off the festive season with such success!

Get involved

Write your will for free

By leaving a gift in your will, you can help support families through the darkest of times, today, tomorrow and for years to come. We’ve partnered with trusted organisations to offer our supporters a free will-writing service available online or face-to-face with a local solicitor.

Find out more

Twickenham needs you!

We’re excited to be opening our newest shop on Twickenham high street and are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to share their time and skills. Just a few hours a week can make a real difference to help us support families in your community.

Email volunteers@shootingstar.org.uk to find out more.

Feeling lucky?

For just £1 a week you can play the Tuckwell Chase Lottery for a chance of winning up to £1,000.

Play the lottery