Shine's Impact: Reducing Isolation and Building Community

Video by a Young Shine Member 2025

Bringing together people with shared experiences, challenges and understandings is a hugely valuable part of what Shine do. 

"Shine’s monthly Zoom meetings and events are a great way to make friends and see each other. It's nice to have a bit of banter and seeing people laugh… The group is people that understand what you are, and have been, going through… The knowledge the participants have and share, along with the Shine staff, is just invaluable."

Our members tell us that Shine's social events offer a sense of connection to others and bring reassurance, information, fun and new ideas. People of all ages with these relatively rare conditions can talk to others going through similar situations, through our online support forums, regular Zoom social groups and face-to-face events.

Between November 2024 and November 2025, 500+ people attended Shine meet ups, online and in-person, connected with other Shine members via our WhatsApp and Facebook groups and otherwise engaged with Shine's 15,000+ member community. 

As a result of our social programme and Shine's wider work, more than 3,600 people—Shine members and parents/carers of members aged 0-99 years old—told us they were enjoying more positive relationships and felt better connected to others during this 12-month period.

Learn more about Shine's impact in our 2024-25 Impact Report