SHINE: Support and Help IN Education

Who we are

SHINE was first established in 1999 by a group of committed philanthropists who wanted to help improve education for the most disadvantaged children. Since then, SHINE has invested more than £27 million in programmes which have benefited almost a million children from 15,000 schools.

Our vision is for all children to leave school with real choices in their future lives. We believe that children should be given the best possible chances in education, no matter what their backgrounds or starting points.

Our mission is to raise the attainment of children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the North of England. We do this by supporting innovations in education which have the potential to transform education outcomes for the most disadvantaged children.

For its first 18 years, SHINE was based and focused in London, where education results for disadvantaged children have significantly improved.

In 2017, we relocated to Leeds to focus on improving outcomes for children in the North of England. We are now the only locally-based, specialist funder of education to cover the full geography of the Northern Powerhouse. Thanks to the continued generosity of our trustees, our central operating costs are fully funded so we take no overhead on donations.

Our values are what makes us act and behave in the way we do. Our values guide our decisions on the people we employ, the grants we give and our relationships with all our key stakeholders.

Passionate: We care deeply about making the biggest difference we can. Everything we do is guided by a shared commitment to achieving change.

Learning: We evaluate our own practice and share our learning with the outside world. We share our successes and we are transparent when things don’t work.

Innovative: We embrace change and take considered risks. We constantly strive for new and better ways of doing things. Our processes, plans and activities are always adapting to improve.

Collaborative: Success relies on relationships founded on mutual trust and respect. We draw on diverse skills, experiences and perspectives to deliver best value for children.

Accountable: We aspire to the highest standards of professionalism and transparency in what we do. We are accountable to our donors, supporters and peers. We honour our commitments and obligations to others.