Save the Children's 'No Child Born to Die' will be the first charity campaign to benefit from the government's UK Aid Match scheme for public donations, announced at the end of June.

The government will double any donations received from Save the Children's 'Born to Shine' televised fundraiser, up to the value of £5m. 

Born to Shine has been televised throughout the summer on ITV1 as part of the No Child Born to Die campaign. It sees talented youngsters mentor celebrities as they learn a new skill. Its finale on 21 August will call for public donations which will be matched by the UK Aid Match scheme. 

International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said the match funding scheme will allow the public a greater say in where the UK aid budget is spent:

“Every day, the British public demonstrates its generosity and commitment to reducing poverty in the developing world by donating their money to appeals and charities.

“By matching pound for pound the money that people give, the government and the British taxpayer will be supporting their choice and contributing to poverty reduction in developing countries.

“Save the Children’s Born to Shine appeal will contribute to a brighter future for thousands of children, and today’s announcement is an excellent example of how the public, the government and the charity sector can work together on the shared goals of improving the lives of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world.” 

The UK Aid Match fund is £30m and charities will be able to apply for up to £5m from the fund to match public donations. Appeals must be expected to raise a minimum of £100,000 and can run for up to three months, but cannot be emergency appeals.