Sparkle Ball raises over £90,000

We held our first charity fundraising ball in the UK, raising more than £90,000, a huge feat for the charity and the sector during covid.

The event took place on Friday 8 October 2021, hosted over 325 guests at Braxted Park, Essex, and was a resounding success. Due to COVID-19, the event was postponed from October 2019, but has raised more than doubled the original goal of £40,000.


Funds raised by the Sparkle Ball will allow the charity to not only meet the budget for its programmes in Malawi, but will also help to expand Sparkle to new sites across Malawi. This is an outstanding achievement, given that since the start of the pandemic, Sparkle has struggled (alongside the rest of the charity sector) with fundraising efforts, and to date is approximately 40% under its 2021 fundraising targets.

 

The night of the Sparkle Ball saw guests bidding on a number of both live auction prizes, including stays at an Ibiza villa, a French ski chalet, and a Seychelles apartment. With bids on a silent auction platform and donations from guests on the night, the charity was completely overwhelmed by its success in raising over £90,000.

 

Sarah Brook, CEO and Founder of The Sparkle Foundation, said: “Three years ago, I was fundraising in my parents’ kitchen trying to generate £2,000 from 50 friends and family to keep some of The Sparkle Foundation children in Malawi in school. Fast forward to now and we have a sold-out event at one of the most prestigious venues in Essex, UK, after a pandemic, which has raised enough money to cover six months of our costs next year to support 10,000 people in Malawi.

 

“We are incredibly grateful to all our supporters. It is a proud moment for the charity to see how far we have come in such a short space of time and it is inspiring for me as the founder to see the acts of kindness shown by so many to make the event possible. This is just the start of what The Sparkle Foundation can do in the charity sector.”


What Britain's Aid Cut to Malawi Means for Charities on the Ground

What Britain's Aid Cut to Malawi Means for Charities on the Ground

By Talhia Le Berre • August 4, 2026
UK government funding to Malawi is on track to drop by around 90 per cent within two years, from K117.9 billion down to K11.7 billion by 2028. The figures emerged in Parliament last week, where Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha faced questions from MP Francis Belekanyama on how such a steep reduction would affect budget delivery. The Minister's position was that the national budget itself is not at risk, since the reduction had already been built into government planning.  Where he was less reassuring was on who absorbs the impact. Per the report, it is Malawi's NGOs, not the state, that are expected to feel this most, given how many rely on UK funding to run health, education and social protection work.

The Four Words That Built an Ambassador

By Talhia Le Berre • July 20, 2026
The Sparkle Foundation Podcast is where we shine a light on the extraordinary people behind our mission: volunteers, changemakers, and champions who show up, roll up their sleeves, and prove that one person really can make a difference. Each episode is an honest, unscripted conversation about what drives people to give back, and what happens when they do. Hosted by Sarah Brook , Founder and CEO of The Sparkle Foundation. 

Students Rally Their Community to Support The Sparkle Foundation’s Medical Outreach Programme

July 6, 2026
We are incredibly proud to partner with Haileybury, an independent school in Hertford, United Kingdom, whose students consistently demonstrate a strong commitment to service, leadership and global citizenship. Through initiatives such as the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, students have supported The Sparkle Foundation by organising creative fundraising events that make a tangible difference to the communities we serve in Malawi. One such student is Eva Kinsey, who was part of the team that organised a community quiz night in support of our Medical Outreach Programme. Eva kindly wrote the reflection below, capturing the experience from a student's perspective. We are delighted to share her account of the evening and the impact that was made.