Sparks (charity)

Sparks

Type	Charitable organisation
Registration no.	1003825
Focus	children's medical research
Location	6th Floor, Westminster Tower, 3 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SP
Area served	United Kingdom
Slogan	Children's medical research
Website	www.sparks.org.uk

Sparks raises money to fund pioneering children’s medical research. 1 in 30 children is born in the UK every day with a condition which may affect them for life.

Sparks supports clinicians and scientists who have the skills, innovation and passion to improve children’s lives forever. Since 1991, we have funded more than 270 ground-breaking research projects in over 80 hospitals, universities and research institutions across the UK and overseas. Each new project is carefully reviewed by both medical professionals and a panel of parents. This ensures that we are funding high quality science as well as investing in those projects most likely to have a benefit for children and families across the UK and beyond.

Every child matters - that’s why we support research into any medical condition affecting children’s health, from rare diseases to the most common illnesses.

History

Sparks was founded in 1960, when Duncan Guthrie enlisted the support of some of the leading sports personalities of the day, including Jimmy Hill and Arsenal and Wales star Wally Barnes; Ryder Cup golf captain Dai Rees; and cricket legend Jim Laker, to start a charity to help sick children.

These eminent sportsmen were lucky enough to be making their living by playing the games they loved and were only too pleased to help those children who might never have the opportunity to play sport at all. Jim Laker was the first Chairman of Sparks and fellow cricket icon Sir Alec Bedser the first President. Sir Alec was succeeded as President by another inspirational British hero, Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader. It was the birth of a long and illustrious lineage of famous names in Sparks's history.

The tradition continues to this day and patrons in more recent years include 2003 Rugby World Cup winners Martin Johnson, Lawrence Dallaglio, Jason Leonard and Matt Dawson, Olympic rowers Sir Matthew Pinsent, Sir Steve Redgrave and Tim Foster, footballers Sir Trevor Brooking and Ray Clemence, World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Colin Montgomerie and celebrity couple Gabby and Kenny Logan.

Sparks contributed to the research that led to the development of a vaccine for polio that has virtually eradicated the disease worldwide. Sparks built upon this success to fund research into other disease and played a significant role in the development of the rubella vaccine and the discovery that folic acid can help counter the risk of babies being born with spina bifida.

In 1991, Sparks became an independent charity, funding ground breaking paediatric medical research projects across a wide range of conditions affecting pregnancy women, babies and young children. The charity's research projects focus on four key areas; pregnancy and birth, first months of life, infancy and childhood and rare diseases.

The pioneering projects Sparks fund are carried out at hospitals and universities throughout the UK and have made significant contributions to treatment breakthroughs being used by doctors all over the world.

Areas of research

Sparks funds research into four key areas; pregnancy and birth, first months of life, infancy and childhood and rare diseases.

Some of the conditions affecting pregnant women, babies and children that the charity has funded research into include pre-eclampsia, oxygen deprivation at birth, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, neuroblastoma, eczema and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.^[1]

Celebrity involvement

Denise Lewis has been the charity's President for since 2014 and was in attendance at the 2013 Winter Ball. She took over the role from Matt Dawson who was the charity's President for 2013.

Past Presidents of the charity include footballing hero David Ginola and husband and wife Gabby Logan and Kenny Logan.

In January 2009, Olympic Gold medalist James Cracknell took part in the Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race with his TV presenter friend Ben Fogle and Dr Ed Coats as members of Team QinetiQ.^[2] The trio were raising funds for Sparks in memory of Cracknell's niece, Eva, who died at six days old after suffering oxygen deprivation at birth.^[3]

Administration

Sparks is based in central London. HRH Princess Michael of Kent has been their royal patron since Sparks became an independent charity in 1991.

Sparks Board of Trustees are: Chairman Jonathan Britton, Deputy Chairman Guy Gregory, Treasurer Julian Wilkinson The Trustees are Robert Booker, Helen Fridell, Martin Jepson, Dr Simon Newell, Professor Donald Peebles, Tim Pethybridge, Roger Uttley OBE, David Orr and Frank van den Bosch. The Chief Executive is Zillah Bingley who began in 2014.

Sparks is a registered charity, and hold the registration number 1003825 in England and Wales and number SCO39482 in Scotland.

Campaigns

George's Appeal

In February 2009, Ronnie Corbett took part in a Radio 4 appeal to help Sparks launch George's Appeal in memory of 9 year-old George Yeomans who died from neuroblastoma. Sparks aims to raise £2million by 2010 to continue the search for better treatments and hopefully find a cure for the condition.^[4]

See also

• Sparkle (catamaran)

References

External links

• Sparks (charity), Registered Charity no. 1003825 at the Charity Commission