Shooting Star Children's Hospices
The charity provides care services to life-limited children and their families at home, in the community and at their two hospices, Christopher's in Guildford and Shooting Star House in Hampton. These services included respite care, symptom management and end of life care. A wide range of therapy and bereavement counselling services are also provided for children and family members.
Objects
TO PROMOTE THE RELIEF OF ILLNESS IN SUCH WAYS AS THE ASSOCIATION SHALL FROM TIME TO TIME THINK FIT BY ESTABLISHING, MAINTAINING AND CONDUCTING RESIDENTIAL NURSING AND CONVALESCENT HOMES FOR THE RECEPTION AND CARE OF YOUNG PERSONS.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total income increased by 6% to £13,071,573 while total expenditure rose by 18% to £12,496,801, resulting in a net unrestricted income of £580,495. The charity holds free reserves of £14,248,894, which the trustees note represents 13.4 months of cash operating expenditure, significantly exceeding their stated policy target of six to nine months.
What the accounts disclose
“Donations and legacies £4,403,488”
“Costs of generating funds increased by 17% from £1,595,211 in 2023/24 to £1,862,758 in 2024/25”
“The reserves policy of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is set at between six and nine months of cash operating expenditure (excluding depreciation).”
Policies the charity declares
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Campaigns and political activity policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025
- Volunteers: 610
- Government income: £2,508,525 — contracts £672,825 (2), grants £1,835,700 (3); 19% of the £13,071,573 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 16 (£60,001–£70,000: 5; £80,001–£90,000: 9; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024
- Volunteers: 541
- Government income: £2,438,076 — contracts £646,000 (2), grants £1,792,076 (1); 20% of the £12,354,437 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 12 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £70,001–£80,000: 3; £80,001–£90,000: 5; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023
- Volunteers: 388
- Government income: £2,130,808 — contracts £628,000 (2), grants £1,502,808 (1); 20% of the £10,626,338 total gross income on the same return
- Employees paid over £60,000: 9 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £70,001–£80,000: 4; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £140,001–£150,000: 1)
- Has a trading subsidiary
In the news
- Michael Ball OBE brings a little Wonka magic to Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
- Shooting Star Children’s Hospices launches celebrity podcast
- Jet2 sponsors new Shooting Star Children’s Hospices podcast and donates flights to support families
- Cygnet Lodge Woking summer fair raises funds for Shooting Star Children's Hospices
- Help Shooting Star Children’s Hospices save their hydrotherapy pool this Children’s Hospice Week
- Shooting Star Children’s Hospices opens its doors to the community this June
- Climbing for a cause: Barratt Redrow takes on Snowdon Sunrise Trek for Shooting Star Children's Hospices
- Shooting Star Children's Hospices Christmas tree collection
Corporate structure
- Registered company of the charity Companies House 02927688
- Trading subsidiary: SHOOTING STAR MARKETING LIMITED Companies House 03123517 · Financial health read from its filings
- Trading subsidiary: CHASE HOSPICE TRADING LIMITED Companies House 03379287
- Turnover: £1.4m
- Profit before tax: £202k
- Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £202k
“A donation, equivalent to the taxable profit for the year, will be paid to the parent charity under a deed of covenant.”
- Turnover: £1.0m
- Profit before tax: £566k
- Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £566k
- Note 10 discloses a loan to parent charity of £1,409,000 (2025: £14,209,000) and an intercompany balance due to parent charity of £4,087 (2025: £0). Note 1 also states: 'Any taxable profit is transferred each year under Gift Aid to the company’s parent charity, Shooting Star Children's Hospices. Provision is made within creditors for the amount payable in respect of each year.'
“A donation, equivalent to the taxable profit for the year, will be paid to the parent charity under a deed of covenant.”
Company officers (Companies House)
- LUDLOW, Phillip on trustee list
- NURYAEVA, Olga on trustee list
- BAVALIA, Kheelna, Dr on trustee list
- JOHNSON, Sally Joanne, Dr on trustee list
- LEWIN, Christopher Mark on trustee list
- SURI, Swati Ganorkar on trustee list
- THEOBALD, Katherine Nicola on trustee list
- EDGE, Andrew John on trustee list
- COPPEL, Andrew Maxwell not on trustee list
- BARKER, Simon Dennis John on trustee list
- JOHNSON, Jennifer
Public-sector contracts awarded
| Buyer | Contract | Awarded | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHS South West London ICB | Specialist Paediatric Palliative Care (SPACE) Service - Shooting Star Children's Hospice | — | — |
| NHS SURREY AND SUSSEX INTEGRATED CARE BOARD | Specialist Paediatric Palliative End of Life Care and Symptom Management Service - CAN | — | — |
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Care Quality Commission ratings
- Christopher's Children's Hospice: Outstanding
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (12/09/2024)
- Received assets from another charity (12/07/2022)
- Received assets from another charity (02/12/2021)
- Received assets from another charity (25/03/2021)
Trustees
- Andrew John Edge
- Andrew Maxwell Coppel CBE
- Christopher Lewin
- Dr Kheelna Bavalia
- Dr Sally Joanne Johnson
- Katherine Nicola Theobald
- Olga Nuryaeva
- Phillip Ludlow
- SIMON DENNIS JOHN BARKER
- Swati Suri
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £13.1m | £12.5m |
| 31/03/2024 | £12.4m | £10.6m |
| 31/03/2023 | £10.6m | £9.8m |
| 31/03/2022 | £9.6m | £7.7m |
| 31/03/2021 | £10.0m | £8.8m |
Common questions
Is Shooting Star Children's Hospices financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total income increased by 6% to £13,071,573 while total expenditure rose by 18% to £12,496,801, resulting in a net unrestricted income of £580,495. The charity holds free reserves of £14,248,894, which the trustees note represents 13.4 months of cash operating expenditure, significantly exceeding their stated policy target of six to nine months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Buzzacott Audit LLP.
Who funds Shooting Star Children's Hospices?
Funders whose own accounts filings name Shooting Star Children's Hospices as a grant recipient include THE PAUL STRANK CHARITABLE TRUST, THE CHILDHOOD TRUST, THE INGRAM TRUST, THE PENNIES FOUNDATION, THE BRITTEN FOUNDATION.
Known funders
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 12/02/2026 | £20k | Family support across the summer at Shooting Star Children's Hospices |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 12/09/2024 | £20k | Sibling Support |
| UK government | 01/04/2019 | £698k | Shooting Star CHASE |
| City Bridge Foundation | 14/11/2018 | £125k | Grant to Shooting Star Children's Hospices |
| UK government | 01/04/2018 | £14k | X Factor- Shooting Star Chase |
| City Bridge Foundation | 20/10/2011 | £135k | Grant to Shooting Star Children's Hospices |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 20/12/2006 | £47k | A weekend of transition skills to prepare life-limited teenagers for the fu |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 16/07/2006 | £5k | Leadership skills training programme |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | 26/05/2005 | £20k | CHASE Wings and Wheels Project |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATION | 3 | £5k |
| THE CLARE MILNE TRUST | 2 | £18k |
| YORKSHIRE BUILDING SOCIETY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | 2 | £5k |
| THE FRANK LITCHFIELD GENERAL CHARITABLE TRUST | 2 | £4k |
| THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £670k |
| HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | 1 | £302k |
| THE CHRIS BANTON FOUNDATION | 1 | £250k |
| The Belstead Ganzoni Charitable Settlement | 1 | £202k |
Charities like this
- SHOOTING STAR CANCER SUPPORT
- Star Community Foundation
- MY SHINING STAR
- EAST ANGLIA'S CHILDREN'S HOSPICES
- DERIAN HOUSE CHILDRENS HOSPICE
- CHILDREN'S HOSPICE SOUTH WEST
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shooting Star Children's Hospices | £13.1m | — | 0 | unclear | 14.3% | no doubt |
| SHOOTING STAR CANCER SUPPORT | £92k | £4,000 | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| Star Community Foundation | £300k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| MY SHINING STAR | £227k | — | — | above | — | no doubt |
| EAST ANGLIA'S CHILDREN'S HOSPICES | £22.4m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| DERIAN HOUSE CHILDRENS HOSPICE | £7.7m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |