Birmingham music and education charity Services For Education has joined forces with Evesham-based Give as you Live Online as part of a fundraising initiative to take advantage of the Christmas shopping rush – and raise funds as the charity approaches its tenth anniversary.

The partnership enables Services For Education’s supporters to shop online at more than 5,500 UK retailers with every order placed resulting in a donation to the charity – based on a percentage of the sales value. There is no cost to the consumer or the charity itself.

Tracy Carlton, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Services For Education, said it was a win-win for both shoppers and the charity – which each week enables more than 38,000 children to learn music and loans out, free of charge, more than 27,000 musical instruments.

“Our work is heavily dependent on fundraising which enables us to deliver life changing programmes but there is a limit to how often we can ask our supporters to raise funds – so this is an easy way for them to donate funds without it costing them a penny,” said Tracy.

“We are particularly keen to raise funds for two significant initiatives – Soundtots, which helps improve literacy skills amongst young children, and Tiger Tiger, which provides multi-sensory, creative arts sessions for adults with additional needs at Birmingham MAC,” she said.

The scheme is in addition to Services For Education’s affiliate marketing programme which runs in conjunction with Escape Live’s escape rooms, Normans Musical Instruments, and Personalised Nation printing and signage. The charity has also partnered with AmazonSmile – receiving 0.5% of purchases made from Amazon using the AmazonSmile portal.

Give as you Live is available at https://www.giveasyoulive.com/ and other Services For Education fundraising partnerships at https://www.sfecharity.co.uk/other-ways-to-donate/

Services For Education was established in 2012 and now employs more than 200 staff delivering music tuition to children, and expert training and development to teaching and school support staff. It has an annual income of around £7m and is part-funded by the Arts Council, England as well as its own fund-raising and subsidised commercial operations.