Disability

Building for the Future

Contributing to music therapy for children and young people with disabilities

Building for the Future was founded in 2007 by a group of parents of disabled children. In 2014, they opened Our House, a specialist, accessible play centre where families can meet and disabled children can relax, have fun and be truly valued and accepted for who they are.

The Trustees of the Axis Foundation agreed to donate £460 towards starter packs (mainly to purchase musical instruments) for their new music therapy group.

“Thank you so so very very much for supporting us. The children and parents will be delighted with the new musical equipment. Results from our trial sessions were phenomenal. Not only have the children enjoyed the sessions but they have learned something new, were engaged and focused for the entire time and learnt to relax. The parents couldn’t believe the transformation.

“It’s a really tough climate out there at the moment and small charities like ours are struggling to provide services for the most needy members of our society. Due to the pandemic and the rising cost of living crisis our services are even more in demand than they ever were before and we are busier than we ever have been. The success of the music therapy group is an example of this demand and we are so pleased to be able to take what was a one-off session and offer it on a more permanent basis for our families” –  Jane Holmes, CEO

More about Our House/Building for the Future

Winner of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, Our House offers a range of facilities, including soft play, a sensory room, teen chill-out zone, PCs, gaming and free play area as well as activities such as Saturday clubs, after school clubs, holiday activities, physiotherapy and a youth group.  Parents and carers find support, solace and strength from one another; siblings can make friends with other children in similar situations; carers and grandparents can chat over a cup of coffee. Our House today helps over 500 children and young people with disabilities.

There’s more here:

 

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Three people holding cheque from Axis Foundation for DemelzaNews

2023 – Annual Charity Golf Day

The Axis Foundation’s annual charity golf day raises funds for Demelza and the Axis Foundation.

This year (2023), our generous guests raised £26,000 which will go towards supporting Demelza as well as many small, local and impactful causes via the Axis Foundation.

Celebrities and supporters teed up at the prestigious London Golf Club, one of the country’s finest golf venues. The day saw various competitions held throughout the course including Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin.

Alan Curbishley, Foundation patron and tv sports pundit, has kindly lent his name to the annual golf day: the Alan Curbishley Classic. And, in addition to Alan, celebrities who attended included tv presenter Bradley Walsh, footballers Teddy Sheringham, Scott Minto and Dave Beasant, and many more from the world of sport and entertainment.

Thank you

We thank all of our guests and supporters including our sponsors for the day:

  • City Plumbing – Main sponsor
  • Howells Solutions – On-course refreshments sponsor
  • Bauer – Golf buggy sponsor

Rounding off the annual charity golf day, the Axis Foundation presented a cheque for £138,545 to Demelza ambassador Scott Minto, pictured here (l to r) with Bradley Walsh and Alan Curbishley.

 

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team of people with disability in powerchairsDisability

Farnham Powerchair Football Club (FPFC)

Helping people with disability enjoy the sport of powerchair football

Farnham Powerchair Football Club (FPFC) offers children and adults with physical disabilities the opportunity to experience team-based sport and play powerchair football. Many are often excluded from clubs – and even school-based PE – due to their physical disabilities and lack of specialist equipment.

The Axis Foundation donated £6,775 to buy the club a new power wheelchair for their squad. Up to now, the club has been borrowing wheelchairs: owning their own Powerchairs enables them to help a growing number of children and adults, disadvantaged by their disabilities, enjoy a team sport in a safe, inclusive environment

“Thank you so much for this, we are thrilled, this will make a real difference to the Club, especially when we enter the South East League season in September. We have already seen massive benefits with many of the players gaining confidence, enjoyment and improvements with their mental health through powerchair football. The new powerchair we can buy with your donation means more players progress their skills and confidence both within the club environment and at matches. Massive thanks once again!” –  Sue Barnley, Secretary

More about Farnham Powerchair Football Club

Farnham Powerchair Football Club, based in Waverley, Surrey has a squad of 10 players and attracts other family members as well as players from the surrounding counties and London, some travelling 50 mins to come and play each week.

There is more about their work here.

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two people at desk reading

The Adult Literacy Trust (ALT)

Helping adult learners become successful readers

The Adult Literacy Trust (ALT) believes that literacy is a right, not a privilege. Poor literacy can be a main contributor to a life of hardship, as a contributor to unemployment and inability to access benefits and services.

The Axis Foundation donated £4,766 towards ALT’s Reading Coaches programme which operates in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Southwark, recruiting and training volunteers who will help adult learners become successful readers.

“We at Adult Literacy Trust are delighted that our application for funding from the Axis Foundation has been approved. We have long admired the ethos and the approach of your grant-making and are honoured to be able to bring that to life through this very welcome grant.

“We rely entirely on the generosity of organisations such as the Axis Foundation to allow this to happen. Together, we are convinced we can make a huge difference to the life chances of so many.”  Robert Glick OBE, Chair

More about ALT

Poor literacy can be a main contributor to a life of hardship, as a contributor to unemployment and inability to access benefits and services. Conversely, improved reading skills bring profound and long-lasting improvements in employability, health and wellbeing and family and social interactions.

ALT’s Reading Coaches programme recruits and trains approximately 80 local volunteers who complement formal learning in (often overcrowded) classrooms by providing one-to-one support for 80-120 adult learners to gain the confidence to become successful readers.

They are currently working in the London boroughs of Hackney and Southwark (both boroughs have higher than UK and London averages for poverty) and plan to roll the Reading Coaches programme out across more London boroughs and also throughout the UK.

ALT partnered New City College and Mary Ward Centre to design and deliver the Reading Coaches programme. ALT’s work has been informed by experts, including from University College London, Workers’ Educational Association, and Learning & Work Institute.See more about ALT here

 

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man on red seats with Axis Foundatin branding Charlton AthletixCommunity

Charlton Athletic and the Axis Foundation

Helping partially-sighted Charlton fans enjoy the action!

The Axis Foundation recently donated £3,500 to the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust to enable partially-sighted supporters to receive live commentaries at The Valley and thus fully immerse themselves in the action on the pitch.

The donation will help towards replacing old equipment so that partially-sighted fans can pick up a headset and receiver from reception and – from anywhere in the stadium – listen to the animated commentary by Rob Shaw (who pioneered the ground-breaking idea over 20 years ago), Harry Low, Jamie Whitehead and Dave Lockwood. They can capture and share the excitement of every moment!

The Axis Foundation has supported Charlton Athletic for many years now, most recently sponsoring Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT)’s 30th Anniversary Golf Day which raised over £13,000 to help support their work raising educational achievement, creating pathways to employment, building healthier lifestyles, bringing communities together and reducing crime.

Charlton close to our hearts

Indeed, Charlton is close to our hearts here at the Axis Foundation. The Chairman of our Trustees, Peter Varney, joined CAFC as managing director in 1997 – a dream job for Peter, who is, like his father, from boyhood, a proud supporter of the Addicks. Peter was promoted to the position of Charlton’s Chief Executive a year later. And Alan Curbishley, who famously managed Charlton 1991 to 2006, became patron of the Axis Foundation in 2014.

Our winning team of Alan and Peter saw the club through many successful years. And together they work tirelessly as volunteers for our Foundation whose primary aim is to support small, local and impactful causes. We are grateful to them both.

The Axis Foundation is very proud of our partnership with Charlton – and fans will be familiar with our branding at the Valley. In fact it is hard to miss!

Our photo shows our CEO and Axis Foundation Trustee John Hayes at the Valley.

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Four Men playing golf at Charity Golf DayNews

Celebrity Charity Golf Day – a favourite fixture

Our annual celebrity charity golf day raises funds for our charity partner Demelza as well as many small, local and impactful causes which the Axis Foundation supports.

Axis Foundation patron, sports pundit and former football manager  Alan Curbishley, kindly lent his name to this event: the Alan Curbishley Classic Charity Golf Day. Launched in 2017 at the prestigious London Golf Club, one of the country’s finest golf venues, the day has become a favourite fixture for our generous guests and supporters.

2023

At our fifth annual golf day, our generous guests raised £26,000. In addition to Axis Foundation Patron Alan Curbishley, celebrities who attended included tv presenter Bradley Walsh, footballers Teddy Sheringham, Scott Minto and Dave Beasant, and many more from the world of sport and entertainment.

Rounding off the 2023 golf day, the Axis Foundation presented a cheque for £138,545 to Demelza.

Full story here

2022

Our fourth annual golf day was a great cause for celebration. Our Foundation marked donating  £2m to 270 small, local and impactful causes in 13 years of giving. On the day, we presented Len Goodman, TV presenter, former Strictly Come Dancing judge and Demelza’s VP, accepted our cheque for £89,000.He said: ‘The Axis Foundation is a fantastic charity. You get Ten from Len!’

Full story here

2019

It its third year, 2019, the Axis Foundation Charity Golf Day raised £34,300. Our host for the day was our patron Alan Curbishley. Amongst the list of other famous attendees were stars from the sporting world, including former footballers Gus Poyet and Tim Sherwood.

On the day, we presented a cheque of £94,500 to Demelza.

The Axis Foundation had plenty to celebrate in 2019; hitting the milestone of a decade of donations to small, impactful and local causes.

Full story of our celebrations here

 

Group photo at Charity GOlf Day 2019
Thank you to everybody who attended and sponsored this year’s event: DM Jones, DMD, Excel, FFT, Gertsky Management, Howells, Martin Arnold, Russell Trew Ltd, Symphony, Your Image, Crystal Electronics Limited, Bauer Asbestos, Proactive Fire Solutions Ltd, PGM maintenance Ltd, DMD Group, Potter Raper, TW Drainage, Carringtons, Bulgaro.

2018

The 2018 Charity Golf Day raised £26,000. Celebrity attendees included famous footballers Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola and England’s hero Sir Trevor Brooking. On this occasion, we presented Demelza with a cheque for £70,000.

Full story here

2017

In 2017, The Axis Foundation held its inaugural Charity Golf Day, raising over £18,000 for Demelza and Sparks Medical Research. Attendees included our patron Alan Curbishley and ex England manager Roy Hodgson, amongst other familiar sporting faces. In 2017, we presented a cheque of £53,724 to Demelza.

The fundraiser’s success created an appetite for the Charity Golf Day to become an annual occasion….

Full story here

 

 

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Demelza

Happy 25th Birthday to Demelza – meet the CEO

Our charity partner Demelza is celebrating 25 years of delivering care that doesn’t back down.

We talk to CEO Lavinia Jarrett – “Vin” to her colleagues and friends and family – as the birthday celebrations commence…

Hi Vin. How long have you been at Demelza now?

I have been at Demelza for 23 years – almost from the beginning. Time has flown by. Sometimes it seems like five years. I arrived at Demelza in 1999, just after the Kent hospice opened. I live locally to Demelza – so I watched it being built on what was muddy, clay-based 6.5-acre field. It was hard digging ! Since then, I have worked in practically every role in the organisation. Most recently, I was Deputy Chief Executive to Ryan Campbell. When Ryan moved on in 2021, I became Acting Chief Executive and was officially appointed as CEO in February 2022.

It is a real privilege working here, and it doesn’t feel like a job, a sentiment that is shared and echoed by so many of the staff and volunteers that have been with us for years too. We have a fantastic history and the important relationships with our partners, including Axis and the Axis Foundation, form part of this.

Where were you working before you came to Demelza?

I worked in primary care, developing local outreach services and commissioning services from NHS Trusts and providers. I have also worked in heavy manufacturing and estate agency.

What changes have you seen since you arrived at Demelza?

Demelza has metamorphosised over the years. The greatest changes I have seen are in the complexity of needs, and in the numbers of babies, children, young people and their families needing our support.

Life expectancy has grown. Not that long ago, the life expectancy of someone with, for example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy was 14 to 15 years. Now someone with Duchenne can live to 32. That’s why there are now approximately 90,00 young people across the UK who need support from their local children’s hospice. Young babies with complex needs can often now can have longer lives too. We have expanded and adapted our services to meet this need.

The complexity is off the scale. For example, 25 years ago, we were just learning about ventilation for a young person or a child but now it is completely normal for us to provide this, and we are now able to support any complicated clinical needs. We are a nurse-led service and our nursing and clinical skills have grown and continue to grow and develop.

Our changes are driven by what our families are telling us; providing a choice of services and where these services are received is now available as a direct result of this feedback. For example, families can now request music therapy online or in their home; or they might want to come to us, get peer support here and some respite. Or a mix. Our care is personalised to every need.

So, it’s Demelza’s 25th birthday this year. Congratulations on your quarter century!

Thank you! We are having a whole year of celebrations. Our actual birthday is September with Demelza Kent first opening its doors in September 1998. Our birthday events include open days here at the hospice and a fundraiser ball at the De Vere hotel, amongst others. We are also holding celebration get-togethers with Demelza staff and volunteers too.

Can you talk us through your new look for Demelza – what was the thinking behind the change in branding?

Changing our branding is our long-term strategy, with the rebrand agreed in principle back in 2019. We had looked at it and felt it was not only starting to feel tired, but that it could better convey the expert care and services that we provide. Unfortunately, these plans had to be postponed due to COVID. Emerging from this with our 25th birthday approaching, we felt the time was right to rebrand and relaunch, modernising Demelza and shaping our image to be more accessible and far-reaching.

Our research organisation conducted a stakeholder survey last year and found that the word ‘hospice’ can be off-putting, mainly associated with death and dying, and detracts from the incredible range of services we provide, that are not associated with end of life care. There’s a lot to be done, support to be had and given, memories to be made. We want people to see it as a vibrant time, and Demelza is a fun and vibrant place!

Our namesake, Demelza, was a beautiful young woman who was passionate about hospice care for children, and we wanted to pay greater homage to our origins by including her in our logo and bringing her to life.

We also wanted something that represented our persona more closely, adopting a softer tone of voice, and a narrative really explaining what children’s hospices actually do and myth-busting to move the focus away from just end of life care.

One of the main changes was moving away from the colour red: it is the sign of danger. It also typically represents sales in shops; with a large high street presence, this is not reflective of the high-quality stock that we sell! Our retail outlets are often the first time many are introduced to Demelza and our new branding makes us more recognisable and identifies more clearly what we as a charity do. The blues and new colour palette are softer and offer more flexibility, and we softened the name, and type, with a lower case “d”. Moving away from the red clown, we now have a more representative brand featuring a cartoon Demelza in our logo and with her friends, they will help tell our story.

Talk to us about our very long friendship: between Demelza, the Axis Foundation and Axis?

We are so grateful. I can’t tell you. You have been on a such journey with us. Without your support, very few of the things I have mentioned would have been possible. You have empathy. You have raised our profile with a ripple effect, through talking to communities. We are incredibly grateful. I genuinely mean it, I really, really do. You are part of our team.

What you think and feel is really important to us at Demelza. We can come to you with ideas, and you help us develop them. And you come to us with ideas for us too.

We cannot do it with you. We want the next 25 years to be bigger and better for us all.

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Care

Youth Talk

Creating safe place for young people to talk in confidence

Youth Talk offers free, confidential counselling that improves the quality of life of children and young people in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

And our award of £10,000 to Youth Talk will help them fit out new, larger premises to create a more productive, safe and pleasant space for young people to talk in confidence. By creating eight counselling suites, the charity will double their current capacity: part of their five-year strategy is to double the number of 1:1 sessions they offer by 2026. It will also give the charity office and meeting spaces for the first time in its 25-year history.

 “Wow – what totally wonderful news. A HUGE thank you on behalf of everyone at the charity and more importantly thank you on behalf of the young people you will be supporting. Our new home is a critical part of our new five-year strategy for growth and we could not have done it without the tremendous support of the Axis Foundation” – David Barker, Chief Executive, Youth Talk

More About Youth Talk

Youth Talk is a registered charity and a Hertfordshire County Council approved provider of counselling psychotherapy. They offer free, confidential counselling that improves the quality of life of children and young people aged 13-25 in St Albans, Hertfordshire.

When young people seek support from Youth Talk, the most frequently reported symptoms include depression, anxiety and stress. Early support helps prevent mental health problems from worsening and enables young people to succeed at school and earn a living so they can support themselves and their families.

The charity believes that every young person should have a safe place to talk in confidence and get early support for their mental health needs, so they can move on with their lives and pursue their dreams.

More about their work here 

 

 

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Community

Rebuilding Lives

Axis employee applies to helps family rebuild their life after tragedy

Axis Resident Liaison Officer Sandra Chipato applied to the Axis Foundation on behalf of a family who lost their son/brother in a house fire in March 2023.

The family also lost all their belongings. So, Sandra asked the family what they needed most – a mattress, a bed and a tv – and asked the Foundation to help them. So the Trustees of the Foundation arranged to purchase these goods and deliver them to the family in their new home provided by their local council.

Thanking the Foundation Sandra said: “I was neighbours with this family for six years: our children were friends. It was heart-breaking to hear what had happened to them. I felt so helpless as I was not able to help.

However, I remembered our Axis Foundation! So I reached out to the Foundation team who were very supportive and helpful: they advised me to fill out the form and they would pick it up from there. I was so glad when I received the call that the application had been approved and that we can help the family. I called the father to tell him the good news. He broke down in tears, that’s how much this meant to him.

“I am so proud to work for an organisation that not only build people’s homes, but they transform lives.”

The father said: “I just want to thank the Axis Foundation for the help they have given to me and my family: the past few months have been really challenging. We are trying to rebuild our lives as well as mourn the loss of our oldest child. My wife is still in hospital, so I have not been able to work. And because I am self employed if I do not work, I don’t get paid. When Sandra first told me that there is a chance your company could help, I was hopeful but at the same time was prepared for the worst.

“I had been sleeping on the floor with my daughter for weeks and it was a relief when I heard the application was approved and we could get some help.

“Thank you so much for your help and reminding us that all is not lost. Yes, we lost all our belongings and our son but your generosity has given hope and the strength to carry on. Words cannot express how grateful we are.”

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disadvantaged

Richmond Furniture Scheme

Helping refugees in Richmond

Richmond Furniture Scheme supplies newly-housed refugees and disadvantaged people with essential items.

The Axis Foundation donated £5,625 towards Richmond Furniture Scheme’s Kitchen Starter Kit Programme which provides vital basic items so that families can cook and eat (often accommodation comes unfurnished). As Richmond has been declared a ‘Sanctuary’ for refugees, with an additional influx of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine, the need to help these families start their new lives is even greater.

“This fabulous donation will help disadvantaged people from all sorts of backgrounds including the homeless, people with mental ill health, refugees, people affected by domestic breakdown and violence. This is practical help that goes straight  to people who need it. Thank you ’’ – CEO Simon Westgarth

The 35-piece set our donation provides contains kitchen essentials for a family of two, plus a toaster, kettle, and iron and (sometimes) a microwave which greatly helps them keep energy costs down.

More about Richmond Furniture Scheme

Richmond Furniture Scheme is based in Twickenham and serves both London Boroughs of Richmond Upon Thames and Wandsworth. In the year 2021 to 2022 they helped 329 local households in need; supported 55 volunteers who worked within the scheme; cleaned, refurbished and recycled 94 tonnes of furniture which was then delivered to those in need and the local community.

They work closely with the local authorities, local charities, churches and schools who are also their main sources of referrals and of information concerning what is needed and what services are required in the disadvantaged segment of the community.

There’s more here

 

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