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Small Charity. Big Impact.
We may only be a small charity but we have a big mission, strong values and a huge impact on the lives of children living with disabilities and terminal illness in the North East, a region with high demand for life-changing equipment.
Spread a little winter sunshine and support a small, local charity this Christmas by taking part in our 'Big Give' campaign, where all donations made using our unique link between 3rd - 10th December are magically doubled, meaning you have twice the impact on improving the lives of babies, children and young adults.
Together, we can light up the region this Christmas.
How it works...
The 'Big Give Challenge' is a national campaign that invites charities to set a fundraising target that gets doubled. The campaign runs across 1 week in December (3rd - 10th) where we ask supporters to donate digitally to our Big Give page. The total pot is made up as follows:
✨50% comes from donations made during the week of the campaign - see below for how to get involved.
✨25% comes from a pledge made by one of our supporters - we are incredibly grateful that this campaign is being pledged by Stagecoach Slatyford, through their Christmas bucket collections in collaboration with our Accessible Santa Grotto Bus
✨25% comes from match funding sourced by Big Give - this may be philanthropists, foundations or corporates
There are many ways people can get involved to support the challenge:
🎄 Take part in our Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 6th December and donate £2 to our Big Give platform on the day
🌟 Organise your own fundraiser and donate what you raise to our Big Give platform
🎅🏽 Simply make a one-off donation to our Big Give platform
Where it goes...
Why choose to support The Sunshine Fund this Christmas?
As a small, local charity that receives zero statutory funding, we rely solely on donations and the generosity of our supporters to continue our hard work. We fund life-changing equipment to local children, schools and communities in the North East to improve their day-to-day lives.
The North East has one of the highest levels of disability in the country, and we're seeing the growing demand for equipment in our region. This is due to cuts, as a lot of the equipment we fund is items that are unavailable through the NHS and Local Authority, and also the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis, which is affecting more and more families.
By supporting The Sunshine Fund, you know that your hard-earned money is staying within the region, is going directly to our cause, and you're having a direct impact on improving the day-to-day life of a local child. You'll be contributing to something truly special; you'll be helping to break barriers, inspire new opportunities, create special memories with friends and family, build confidence, and help our kids reach their full potential..
Here's the sort of items that you'd be helping to fund:
💛 A specialist trike (£1,000 - £2,000) for a child who can’t ride a standard bike, so they can race their siblings, play with their friends and improve motor skills.
💛 Wheelchair and buggy accessories that cost £100s per item; these don't come as standard when funded by the NHS, yet provide basic comfort and protection, especially during the autumn/winter months when the weather is cold and wet. For example, rain covers, CosyToes, thermal covers, baskets and trays - these are all essential items that add up.
💛 Living aids such as a mobile hoist (£1,735) to help a teenager gain independence when travelling around in their wheelchair, or a specialist cushion (£1,275) for a toddler with limited mobility, so they can sit and relax with their family.
💛 Indoor and outdoor sensory & play equipment - such as a playframe (£500) or trampoline (£400) for a child who struggles with public spaces and gets overwhelmed at a park, yet still needs a space to release energy and have fun, or a sensory bundle (£50 - £200) containing items that help a young person self-regulate.
💛 IT & Communication equipment - such as an iPad (£550) to help children of varying needs with communication, cognitive skills, self-regulation and learning at home. It could be a CCTV (£3,000) to help a young person with a visual impairment study, complete homework and learn away from school, as well as being able to enjoy their hobbies independently without the need for scribing, or an Eye Gaze System (£5,103) to enable a child with Cerebral Palsy to communicate with parents/carers and make their own choices.
These are just some of many items we fund. View some of our videos to see just how far a piece of equipment can go:
GET INVOLVED...🎄
Time to dust off those jumpers...
Join us on Friday 6th December and wear your best (or ugliest!) festive knit to work, school, nursery, out and about or around the house, and support local children living with disabilities, additional needs and terminal illness.
Donate at least £2 on the day using our unique Big Give link and your donation will be magically doubled.
Get dressed up for The Sunshine Fund this Christmas Jumper Day and know that you're supporting a small, local charity where your donation will stay within our region, having a direct impact on improving the lives of local babies, children and young people.
Anything you spare will contribute towards funding equipment that provides enrichment and improves kids' lives, which is especially crucial as we approach the winter months. You'll be helping us fund items like rain-covers, Cosy-Toes and other wheelchair/bug accessories that aren't funded through the NHS, yet are vital for colder, wetter weather, as well as indoor sensory, play and communication equipment.
We'll also be rewarding a small prize to our favourite photo so get creative and tag us in your best photos on social media @sunshinefund.
Organise a Festive Fundraiser for us!
Be part of our Christmas Challenge by organising a fundraiser on our behalf - we can offer support and guidance along the way and we'll be sure to shout about it on our socials and in our weekly column,
Whether you're an individual or part of a corporate organisation looking to tick off some CSR requirements around the holiday season, we've put together some ideas for team-building activities and festive fundraising ideas for the office or with friends and family.
Download our 'Festive Fundraising Pack' using the link below and if you need any help, or to let us know what you're doing, please tell us by emailing hello@thesunshinefund.org.
Visit Santa on his magical, fully accessible and inclusive grotto bus this Christmas!
Our Santa Grotto Bus welcomes all ages and needs, because everybody deserves the opportunity to meet Santa.
Our bus will be stationed on Northumberland Street South (near TK Maxx) on the following dates:
🎅🏽 Friday 6th - Sunday 8th December
🎅🏽 Saturday 14th - Sunday 15th December
While Santa’s sleigh will be getting prepared and polished for its long route on Christmas Eve, the ever-generous team at Stagecoach have very kindly arranged to bring him to Newcastle City Centre on one of their buses to pay children, adults and families in our region a very special visit!
We understand that this year especially, money will be tight for most of us, which is why all visits to Santa remain FREE of charge. Our grotto bus is also fully accessible with wheelchair access.
We understand that visiting Santa can be an overwhelming experience, and we can't always predict a child's mood - we don't require any booking, just turn up when you can, and our team can make adaptions if your child needs it so that they feel as comfortable as possible.
Watch last year's video to get in the Christmas spirit: