Raise Your Hand to Help: The Story Behind the Campaign

One arm in the air. A simple, bold gesture that became Alan Shearer’s trademark, seen 260 times during a record-breaking Premier League career.

But now, that same gesture means something completely different.

At the Alan Shearer Foundation, we’ve turned it into a symbol of something bigger. A way to ask for help, offer support and stand alongside the thousands of families who rely on the Alan Shearer Centre every year.

We call it: Raise Your Hand to Help.

If you read the recent Mirror feature on the campaign, you’ll know just how personal this is to Alan — and how powerful this gesture has become.

What it means
Raise Your Hand to Help is more than a fundraising slogan. It’s an open invitation.
Whether you’re donating, volunteering, running a race, sharing a story or simply paying attention, raising your hand means you’re part of it.

It’s a way of showing up.

A way of saying: I believe in this. I want to help keep it going.

Because what happens at the Alan Shearer Centre matters. To thousands of people. Every single year.

Why it matters
The Alan Shearer Centre provides free, specialist support for over 5,000 children and adults with complex disabilities and sensory needs. It’s a safe, welcoming place where people are seen, valued and understood.

We receive no public funding.

It costs £320,000 every year just to keep the Centre open.

Every penny comes from people who choose to get involved.
That’s why this campaign exists — because without public support, we simply wouldn’t be able to do what we do.

The gesture behind the message
Alan Shearer’s one-arm celebration is more than just a nod to his past. It’s a reminder that something small and consistent, done with purpose, can make a huge difference.

“People still talk to me about that celebration. It became a bit of a trademark.
Now I want it to mean more than football. I want it to help people.”
— Alan Shearer

How you can raise your hand
There’s no one way to take part. That’s the point.
This is a campaign built on people doing what they can, in their own way.

You can:

• Donate, one-off or monthly, whatever you can manage
• Fundraise, run a race, host an event, get creative
• Share the message, amplify our work and help us reach more people
• Volunteer, give your time, skills or energy
• Partner with us, we’re always looking for brilliant businesses to work with

Whatever you choose, it starts with one thing: raising your hand.
This campaign is rooted in something simple: human connection.
It’s about making people feel included, supported and seen.
It’s about giving people space to just be.

And it’s about doing what we can, together.

It starts with one small gesture. Yours.
Raise Your Hand to Help.