A Shining Light

Our school charity, A Shining Light, was founded in July 2022 following the loss of one of our students, Luke Stevens.

Luke was sadly diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in December 2019. During this time, Luke continued to attend school as much as he could, insisting that he still played his part in school life. He would regularly volunteer, particularly within the PE department, helping to referee sports fixtures and represented the school football team at all ages during his time at Howden. Luke sadly lost his battle with cancer in June 2021.

Mr Gardiner, who had taught Luke and coached him throughout his five years at Howden, reached out to Luke’s parents, Chris and Jo, and his sister Cassie, to discuss a suitable legacy for him and A Shining Light was born. The initial launch event in 2022 was a football fundraiser, a game between Luke’s old school team and Howden School staff. That evening, the group raised over £7,500, creating a springboard of what was to come, and as of 2026 the charity has raised over £149,000.

The objectives of the charity are simple, to provide greater care and support for young people across Yorkshire who are currently on their cancer journeys, and to make younger people more generally better aware of their physical and mental health whilst providing meaningful volunteering opportunities for our students along the way.

The charity supports a number of hospitals across Yorkshire, including Hull, Leeds and Sheffield, as well as Newcastle, who support the Yorkshire units when needed. They provide funds for patients to go on holiday, experience workshops on the wards such as Lego, magic and music, theatre trips, takeaway nights and more.

A Shining Light was officially recognised by the charities commission as a registered charity on September 1, 2026 and carries the registration number 1219454.