Share Shrewsbury launches urgent crowdfunder to protect Shropshire’s children from alcohol harm

The campaign – Amy’s Story: Alcohol Awareness Workshops – needs to raise £11,429 to deliver a pilot programme into Shropshire schools, equipping young people with the knowledge, resilience, and confidence to make safer choices about alcohol.

“ We will offer these workshops freely to cash strapped schools, but this means we are relying on our wonderful local community to help us raise the cash needed to run them. Each £250 donated will mean that a workshop can be held in a local school” 

This work could not be more urgent:

- In England, alcohol is the leading cause of death, disability, and ill-health among 15–49-year-olds.

- Teenagers’ developing brains are uniquely vulnerable, with early drinking strongly linked to long-term dependency.

- Shockingly, in England over half of 15 year old children have drunk alcohol, a higher figure than any other country in the world. 

- Yet today in Shropshire, no preventative alcohol education of this kind is reaching our children.

At the heart of the project is a story no family should ever have to tell. Founder Jane Mackenzie lost her daughter Amy to alcohol. Out of her devastating loss comes a powerful legacy - workshops that speak directly to young people, through Amy’s real story.

“These sessions don’t just share facts – they save lives,” said Jane. “When children hear Amy’s story, they listen. They reflect. And they start to understand the real risks. This isn’t about scaring them – it’s about giving them the strength to make better choices before it’s too late.”

The interactive, age-appropriate workshops will  roll out to school children across Shrewsbury. Students will experience hands-on learning tools like “beer goggles” to simulate intoxication, and schools will receive resources for follow-up. Parents and carers will also be supported through tailored sessions, helping families hold open conversations at home.

But this life-changing work cannot happen without urgent community backing. Businesses, in particular, have a unique opportunity to step up. Share Shrewsbury is offering sponsorship packages for organisations that want to show leadership on a major health issue.

“Every pound pledged may help to save a young life. Businesses that invest in this programme will be directly funding prevention, safeguarding families, and creating a healthier workforce for the future.

The campaign is part of the Crowdfund Shropshire initiative, meaning that every donation could be matched by partners like Shropshire Council, multiplying the impact of business support.

The campaign is now live at spacehive.com/amy-s-story-alcohol-awareness-workshops.