Reflecting on 2024: Supporting Families, Building Partnerships, and Looking Ahead
With 32% of children in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin living in poverty, the need for our work at Little Stars has never been greater and we have been working tirelessly to support families in need across our community.
Making an Impact Where It Matters Most
At the core of our work is ensuring children and families have access to essential items during challenging times. This past year we were able to:
Support 1,333 children with essentials items such as clothes, toiletries, baby equipment, school uniforms and educational toys.
Provide Christmas gifts to 582 children through our Santa’s Little Stars campaign.
Assist 52 pregnant women with maternity packs.
Deliver toiletries to 140 adults in need.
We also invested over £7,000 in essential items to meet rising demand:
76 stairgates, 36 mattresses, and 3 cots/beds were purchased and distributed.
We allocated additional funds for toiletries, bedding, monitors, and other items to ensure families had what they needed.
This represents a 176% increase in the number of children we supported compared to 2023 (482 children). These numbers underscore both the growing need in our community and the impact we have had on the families we support.
Highlights of 2024
This year has been filled with memorable milestones and partnerships:
Heart of the Community
In May, we opened our first charity shop in the heart of Shrewsbury’s Darwin Centre, creating a space to raise funds and connect with the community.
Memorable Events
From our first-ever Wear Stars for Little Stars Day to our Halloween Ball, which raised over £6,000, our supporters came together to create incredible moments while raising vital funds.
Corporate Volunteering and Partnerships
We welcomed corporate volunteers from companies like WSP, Pwc, Halifax, Practice Plan, Shropshire Council, TCA, Lanyon and Bowdler, Marches Academy Trust, Shrewsbury College Group and WSP who generously gave their time to help in our stockroom, shop, and Christmas wrapping events.
Our continued partnerships with Aico, Tesco, Morrisons, Start Tech, Millichope Foundation and St Winefriede continue to help us build on our work and reach more families than ever before by all the support they provide to us.
We look forward to working with them in 2025 as well as building new partnerships with Komplex Group and Laynon Bowdler.
New Beginnings
We expanded our team with the addition of Chantal, our Marketing and Fundraising Coordinator and Mel our Shop Manager while welcoming two new Trustees, Anne and Joanna.
Christmas Campaign
The Santa’s Little Stars campaign was an overwhelming success, with contributions from individuals, businesses, and organisations like the Darwin Centre, Entertainer, Pipekit, Croud, Samuel Woods, Aaron and Partners, Severnfield Medical Practice, Currys, Primark and many more. These efforts ensured that 582 children received gifts this Christmas.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we move into 2025, we’re already busy with referrals and expect the demand for our services to continue rising due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. To meet this growing need, we’re eager to forge new partnerships with local businesses and individuals.
If you’d like to join us in making a difference, whether by donating, volunteering, or hosting a fundraiser, please get in touch to see how you can get involved.
We’re also planning a full schedule of events for the year, including:
Musical Bingo – Join us on 4th April at The Alb in Shrewsbury. Tickets are limited, so book early!
Shrewsbury Half Marathon – We’re forming a team to run and raise funds for Little Stars. Let us know if you’d like to get involved. Contact Chantal@littlestarscharity.org
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Thank You for Your Support
Reflecting on 2024, we’re immensely proud of all we’ve achieved. But none of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters, from individual donors to businesses and grant providers. Together, we’ve made a real difference in the lives of children across Shropshire.
