Neal and Jessica support a wonderful charity, called Shika, and would consider it a truly amazing wedding present to raise as much as possible to help Shika continue their brilliant work.

Neal’s relationship with Shika began in February 2013, when he went to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with some friends, including Shika’s founder, Michelle Parlett, to raise money for the charity. Before the Kilimanjaro climb, Neal visited the Shika centre and spent an afternoon getting to know some of the children. He had taken over some junior golf clubs and gave them all an introduction to golf. He remembers it as probably the best golf lesson he has ever given; it was certainly one of the most rewarding afternoons he had ever had and he remembers that seeing all the children smiling and being inquisitive was fantastic.

Shika began as an educational sponsorship programme for orphaned and vulnerable children launched by Michelle in 2006; she had been living and working with communities in northern Tanzania. The organisation has grown since then with the collaboration of a number of committed individuals and has the goal to provide a quality education to disadvantaged children in Tanzania.

Since its inception, Shika has secured schooling for nearly 100 disadvantaged children through an educational sponsorship programme. In 2009, a holistic educational support programme, the Watoto Wanaweza After School Programme (ASP), was established to provide vital packages of assistance to these and many more vulnerable children from local schools. Shika has also provided a vital income for disadvantaged communities across Tanzania, through its fair trade business “Shika Fashion Label”.