Shooting Star Chase is a UK-based charity (No: 1042495). It is intended to support and provide palliative care to families with children who are not expected to reach the age of 19 because of illness or incurable disease. Shooting Star Chase offers community based support to families in south west London, Surrey and Sussex and runs two children's hospices: Christopher's, which is based at Artington near Guildford, and Shooting Star House in Hampton, London.
CHASE is the acronym for Children's Hospice Association for the South East, and was registered as a charity on 13 November 1994 after being inspired by an article in a national newspaper about a children's hospice in Birmingham. CHASE introduced its Community Care team on 10 May 1999 and Christopher's children's hospice was opened in November 2001. The CHASE Ben Hollioake Fund was established after the death of the England and Surrey cricketer in 2002. An afternoon tea party was hosted by Simon Cowell and his beautiful girlfriend Lauren Silverman for Shooting Star Chase at London's The Dorchester hotel. An 83-year old actress named Joan Collins donated more than 150 pieces to Shooting Star Chase.
The Countess of Wessex is currently Royal Patron. Other Patrons include Chris Evans, Andrew Castle, Chris De Burgh, Adam Hollioake, Eric Clapton, Anthea Turner, Anneka Rice, Keeley Hawes and Phillip Schofield.
Shooting Star Chase receives minimal, short-term government funding but the majority of its revenue comes from donations and fundraising.