💛 £8,000, Endless Smiles, and Songs from the Heart: When the Singing Children of Kenya Visited Portishead

What a week it was! The Singing Children of Kenya brought colour, joy and music to Portishead, and our community responded with open hearts. From concerts filled with laughter and dancing to moments of quiet connection and gratitude, it was a visit none of us will forget — and together, we raised an incredible £8,000 for Educate the Kids.

🌍 A Week of Joy and Connection

For those who haven’t met them before, the Singing Children of Kenya are part of Educate the Kids, a charity that provides education, food, and support for children at Jolaurabi School near Mombasa, Kenya.

SoleLution’s connection to this charity goes back years — all the way to 2018, when I first travelled to Kenya with my son George on what I called my “trip of a lifetime.” We visited the school, fitted hundreds of children with shoes, and saw first-hand the impact of education and kindness. What started as a simple idea — collecting children’s shoes from our customers — grew into a life-changing partnership.

This year, hosting the choir again in Portishead reminded us why that partnership means so much. The children’s joy was infectious, their harmonies filled every space they sang in, and their gratitude was humbling. Watching them share their culture and their hope with our community was a truly moving experience.

🎶 Why the Tour Matters

The choir’s UK tour does more than entertain — it tells the story of what education can do. Each song, each smile, each handshake after a performance helps raise awareness and inspire new sponsors to support Educate the Kids.

For many of these children, the chance to attend school is made possible only through sponsorship. It costs just £11 per month to give a child education, meals, and hope for a better future. The tour gives these children the platform to share their gratitude and show the power of education in action.

💛 What £8,000 Really Means

So what does £8,000 really mean for the children you’ve helped?

It’s hard to put into words what your generosity will achieve. Every pound raised through the Singing Children of Kenya tour helps Educate the Kids continue its incredible work — funding the tour itself so the children’s voices can be heard around the world, and directly supporting education at Jolaurabi School in Kenya.

Your kindness helps to:

• Provide school uniforms and daily meals for pupils
• Support teachers and classroom resources
• Give children stability, care and the chance to learn

To put it in perspective, it costs just £11 a month to sponsor a child’s education. That means the money raised could represent the equivalent of a year’s education for more than 60 children — 60 young lives filled with hope and possibility thanks to this amazing community.

🎂 20 Years of SoleLution – 20 Children to Sponsor

As we celebrate 20 years of SoleLution this month, we’re marking the occasion with more than cake and bubbles — we’re launching our “20 for 20” challenge, aiming to sponsor 20 children at Jolaurabi School for the year ahead.

It feels like the perfect way to celebrate everything SoleLution stands for: comfort, care, and community.

If you’d like to be part of that change, visit educatethekids.com to find out more about sponsoring a child. Every penny truly makes a difference.

🙏 A Heartfelt Thank You

To everyone who donated, attended a concert, hosted a child, or simply shared the story — thank you. 💛

Your kindness has reached far beyond Portishead, leaving a lasting mark on the children, their families, and all of us who were lucky enough to experience their joy.

Together, we’ve shown what community can achieve when it comes from the heart.