Charitable giving lies at the heart of Northern & Shell. As a responsible business, we are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to support a diverse range of good causes in every possible way. As our network has grown, so has our commitment to supporting the community.

The Health Lottery has generated over £132m for communities across Great Britain and aims to create a pipeline to fund our most disadvantaged and isolated community groups for years to come. The Health Lottery has enabled over 3,500 local health projects and charities to help more than 769,000 people in Great Britain. 

Additionally, hundreds of charities have received support and donations from Northern & Shell through The Desmond Foundation, which has dispensed more than £28 million to charities. Funds have been donated directly and also raised by the RD Crusaders Supergroup, which has featured performers including Roger Daltrey, Lulu, Greg Lake, Robert Plant, Mark Ronson, Zoot Money, Russ Ballard, Dave Howman, Steve Smith, Nikki Lamborn, and many others.

Charities to have benefited include the Bomber Command Memorial Fund, World Jewish Relief, Norwood, The Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, The Royal Society for Blind Children, The Evelina Children’s Hospital, humanitarian aid charities in Niger, and many hundreds of smaller operations.

The Northern & Shell Chairman, Richard Desmond, takes a personal and active interest in every charity supported and The Desmond Foundation processes requests and assesses where funds should best be made available.

The Foundation aims to use donations in a focused and informed way to realise the best possible benefit to recipients. Its strategy allocates funds to smaller charities allowing the money to go straight to those who need it.

In recent years, the Foundation has focused its awards on children and young peoples' charities in the UK and has contributed extensively to further the wellbeing of disadvantaged sections of society. Larger charities have also benefitted with donations to schools, hospitals, retirement homes, carer organisations, hospices and a wide range of medical support groups.

Children’s charities remain the focus of The Desmond Foundation, although consideration is given by the Trustees to worthy causes outside this area, so long as the funds awarded can make a difference.