Create is the UK's leading charity empowering lives, reducing loneliness and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts.

We know that unleashing creativity ignites imaginations, develops confidence and builds relationships. Like setting off a firework, our professional artists light the touch paper and our participants discover new found self-belief and a desire to try more, do more and be more.

We're a national charity that champions local priorities by collaborating with our partners to tailor every project to each individual's needs. We believe that everyone ' regardless of circumstances, behaviour, age, gender, race or disability ' deserves the chance to fulfil their potential. Most projects are collaborations with community partners which have specialist knowledge of local priorities and the participants that they exist to serve.

Our focus is on engaging the most marginalised participants in inspiring, sustainable arts programmes ' delivered in familiar settings where they feel comfortable and safe ' in areas where provision is poor and engagement in the arts is therefore low. We prioritise our work with seven participant groups: young patients; disabled children and adults; young and adult carers; schoolchildren (and their teachers) in areas of deprivation; vulnerable older people; young and adult offenders (and their families); and marginalised children and adults.

Many of our programmes are developed and delivered in partnership with the business community, helping to meet their Corporate Responsibility (CR) priorities. Every project we deliver is rigorously evaluated because we're passionate about providing inspiring and empowering creative experiences that have a lasting impact. We also evaluate the longer-term impact of our work through the Making it Matter initiative, which revisits two projects each year, 6-24 months after they took place.

We know from experience that drama can build an isolated young carer's self-esteem, that storytelling can strengthen the bond between a prisoner and the loved ones waiting for him at home, and that music can help ease the anguish felt by the parent of a child with a life-limiting condition.

One spark of creative energy opens up a world of positive opportunities. Create lights that spark.