A leading children's hospice charity based in Addlestone, Shooting Star Chase will be a beneficiary of the new X-Factor CD, released for Christmas this year
Shooting Star Chase provides vital care to children with life-limiting conditions - and their families. Simon Cowell is vice-president of the charity, belying his image as reality TV's original "Mr Nasty", and has been outspoken about their good work.
"I remember the first time I was invited down to a hospice", he said, speaking at a recent Easter Tea event in aid of the charity. "I’ve got to be honest, I was dreading it. I pictured just greyness in my mind... then I walked into this place, which should be so sad – but in a strange way, it wasn't. It was just a beautiful place to be".
Last year, X-Factor finalists visited the Hampton branch of the hospice, and the year before that a group of teenagers from Shooting Star Chase were invited to rehearsals for the final show.
This year, the aid will be even more direct – as 100% of the profits from the sale of each X-Factor CD and download will be donated to charity, split equally between Shooting Star Chase and Together for Short Lives. In the UK, that adds up to at least £1 for each CD and 20p for each download.
Karen Sugarman, director of fundraising for Shooting Star Chase, said it was "fantastic, not only in terms of fundraising, but also for raising awareness of what [we] do for the 700 families we support."
Any funds raised would depend on people downloading and buying the winning single, she stressed – so make sure you vote for your favourite act out of Che Chesterman, Louisa Johnson and Reggie N Bollie, and get down to the shops when it's released on December 15 (digital release is Dec 13).
Shooting Star Chase provides free care to families, from diagnosis all the way through bereavement. They offer care in a physical and emotional sense, and receive only 10% of their funding from the government, so the support of volunteers, sponsors and partners is absolutely vital.
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Find out more on the Shooting Star Chase website
