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Friends of Shenstone School

June 17, 2026By

Confidence and Mobility for Children with Severe Learning Difficulties

The Axis Foundation has awarded £4,100 to Friends of Shenstone School to fund a specialist adaptive trike.

“Thank you so much for this incredible support – it will make a huge difference to our children.”
— Olimpia Erdogan
The trike will allow all pupils to participate in physical activity, regardless of ability.
Use of adaptive trikes improves motor skills, balance, coordination, and confidence, while also supporting emotional regulation and wellbeing.
And the donation will benefit all pupils, promoting independence, resilience, and enjoyment through inclusive play
Shenstone School supports children aged 2–11 with severe learning difficulties. Learn more about Friends of Shenstone School here 
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Bedroom with adapted lifting beds and hoistCare

The Sandcastle Trust

June 17, 2026By

Respite for families affected by rare genetic conditions

The Sandcastle Trust supports families affected by rare genetic conditions through tailored wellbeing services, counselling, peer support and vital respite opportunities.

We awarded them £10,000 to contribute towards a bespoke three-bedroom wheelchair-adapted caravan on the Sussex/Kent coast.

This will enable around 312 people each year to access inclusive family breaks, improving mental health, easing pressure on carers, and strengthening relationships in families while reducing isolation and emotional strain.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Axis Foundation for this generous support. This funding will help us expand our respite provision, giving more families the opportunity to reconnect, recharge and create positive memories together in a fully accessible environment. It will make a real difference to families who rarely get the chance to take a break” – Danielle Singleton, Head of Service Delivery & Operations

From a parent

“Our youngest daughter, Bella, is 7 and lives with a rare genetic condition called SCN2A  that causes frequent seizures and affects her development. She needs constant care and monitoring, day and night. Finding somewhere accessible that meets Bella’s needs is a huge challenge. And even when we do, it’s often far too expensive. Because Bella needs her own quiet, controlled space for her equipment and alarms, we can’t share rooms in the way most families can.

That’s why the Sandcastle Trust’s plans for a fully accessible three-bedroom caravan would make such a difference to us.
It would mean Bella could have the space she needs to be safe and comfortable… It would mean we could all go away together, without the stress, without the worry, and actually enjoy time as a family.

It would give us something we don’t often get: the chance to rest, to recharge, and to create precious memories together.”

More about The Sandcastle Trust

Based in East Sussex, The Sandcastle Trust supports families across the UK living with rare genetic conditions, which collectively affect around 3 million people. These conditions often bring complex, lifelong challenges, including high levels of anxiety, social isolation and significant financial pressure, with many families unable to access suitable support or affordable respite care.

Through its Family Respite Service, counselling, peer support and online wellbeing hub, the charity delivers measurable impact. In the past year, 1,076 individuals were supported directly, alongside thousands of online engagements, with 98% of families reporting improved quality of life and 82% reporting stronger family relationships.

More here

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Care

Samuel’s Charity

June 16, 2026By

Recovery and support for seriously ill children in At Home project

Samuel’s Charity supports seriously and terminally ill children and their families with practical, emotional and financial assistance, both in hospital and at home.

We donated £1,000 towards sensory and educational equipment for their At Home project. The project reduces hospital stays and supports families to manage complex care needs more effectively.

““I am very grateful for the support the Axis Foundation donated. It means we can continue to support children going through the worst time of their lives with meaningful and hope-filled support.

“It is often overlooked how much ‘normality’ means to a sick child. Being able to play, to do schoolwork. What it really does is tell the child that there is a tomorrow, that there is hope that this awful time will end. Thank you”– Martin Leib, Trustee

More about the At Home project

The At Home Project supports seriously and terminally ill children to leave hospital safely and continue recovery at home, while ensuring families receive coordinated practical, emotional and financial support. Working in partnership with hospital wards, the service enables a safe transfer home and ongoing care in the community.

Around 15% of children who are medically fit for discharge remain in hospital due to lack of support. The project supports 250–300 children annually and frees up approximately 900 bed days per hospital, enabling 50–100 additional children to access care sooner and reducing costs by around £1.3 million.

Children recover better at home with improved wellbeing and reduced depression. Families also benefit from reduced stress, improved resilience and lower risk of relationship breakdown during prolonged hospital stays.

More about Samuel’s Charity

Based in Dunstable and supporting families across London and the South East, including through St George’s Hospital in Wandsworth, Samuel’s Charity delivers coordinated care that bridges the gap between hospital and home. Its work improves outcomes for children, supports families and reduces pressure on NHS services.
More here

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white van centre with three people and balloons plus large signCare

MammaKind

June 16, 2026By

New van delivers essential items to families

MammaKind is a baby bank dedicated to preventing and relieving poverty for families with children under six.

Our grant of £5,000 helps MammaKind buy a dedicated delivery van for their “Bundles of Joy” project. The investment will enable the charity to deliver essential items directly to families in need, benefiting around 3,000 people in the first year, reducing financial pressure, improving wellbeing and giving children the best start in life.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Axis Foundation for this generous support. Having our own van will transform how we deliver our Bundles of Joy, allowing us to reach families faster and more efficiently.

“It means we can focus our resources where they are needed most — supporting children and parents through incredibly challenging circumstances. This donation will make a lasting difference to the families we serve” – Kirsty Lowe, Founder

More about MammaKind

Based in Lewisham, London, MammaKind is a baby bank dedicated to preventing and relieving poverty for families with children under six. Through its core “Bundles of Joy” service, the charity provides tailored packages of essential items — including nappies, clothing, toys, books and larger equipment such as prams and cots — working in partnership with over 40 frontline organisations including social workers, midwives and children’s centres.

With child poverty reaching up to 37% in the boroughs it serves, MammaKind’s work delivers measurable impact, with the majority of families reporting improved wellbeing, reduced financial stress and greater engagement with support services. The charity plays a vital role in improving health, development and long-term life chances.

There’s more here

 

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Young boy in blue shirt in wheelchairCare

Enhanced Quality of Life for George

April 28, 2026By

Specialist equipment enhances mobility, health and quality of life for George

George Tappenden lives with spinal muscular atrophy and continues to inspire others through advocacy, fundraising and raising awareness of disability inclusion and accessibility.

We donated £11,000 to purchase a specialist Innowalk for George. This piece of equipment enables George to get into a standing position and move his legs. It helps him with many physical functions including bone density, lung capacity, circulation and overall wellbeing.

“This is the best news ever. We are beyond grateful to the Axis Foundation for supporting George once again and helping him access the equipment he needs to stay strong, healthy and active” – Lucy Frost, Co-founder of TreatSMA and George’s mother

Our support will benefit George directly and also enable a second child to benefit: George’s current equipment will be donated, extending the impact and supporting another family in need.

More about George

Based in Kent, George has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities and received national recognition, including a National Diversity Award and a BAFTA for his advocacy work.

The Axis Foundation previously supported George with £3,000 towards his first mobility chair at the age of just two, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to improving his independence and quality of life.

You can read about our first donation here

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Care

Supporting Wellbeing and Dignity During Cancer Treatment

April 22, 2026By

A new wig for Siobhan supports her wellbeing and dignity during cancer treatment.

The Trustees of Axis Foundation awarded £2,200 to fund a real hair wig for Siobhan, a cancer patient who has been undergoing treatment since 2016. The grant will cover the full cost of the wig, removing a significant financial burden and ensuring Siobhan’s wellbeing and dignity during treatment.

Siobhan said:
“I just wanted to personally express how appreciative I am to you and your fellow trustees for raising the funds for my human hair wig. I lost my hair back in 2016 when I first started chemotherapy treatment, and it made me extremely depressed. When my cancer progressed to my brain, I knew further treatment could mean losing my hair again, and I even questioned whether to continue because quality of life is just as important as longevity.

“I have now completed over 170 rounds of chemotherapy, and the cold cap treatment has been painful and difficult. I started researching wigs, but the only ones that looked natural were human hair — and I simply couldn’t justify the cost. I didn’t want something that looked obvious; I just wanted to feel like myself again.

“Thanks to your support, this has become a reality. It has lifted a huge burden and I hope it will help me feel confident and like myself again.

“No words can truly express how much this means to me.”

More about Siobhan

Siobhan has faced an extraordinary journey, undergoing more than 170 rounds of chemotherapy, with her cancer now having spread to the brain. Despite this, she continues to support others — hosting coffee mornings for fellow cancer patients and fundraising for charities — while raising her two children.

Hair loss has been one of the most difficult aspects of her treatment. While NHS wigs were available, they did not provide the natural appearance she was seeking. A real hair wig offers a far more realistic solution, helping restore confidence at a time when treatment is both physically and emotionally demanding.

The Foundation’s support removes the remaining costs for Siobhan who is medically retired and living on limited income.

A Personal Recommendation

On hearing about Siobhan through a friend, Sally Hayes who is the wife of Foundation Founder John Hayes, recommended an application to the Axis Foundation. As always, the Trustees were delighted to help.

“It means a great deal to us to be able to support Siobhan in this way. She is a very remarkable woman. And we hope the wig brings her confidence and comfort. ” – Mick Hayes, Axis Foundation Trustee

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Care

Newport First Responders

December 17, 2025By

Life-saving, community-based emergency support

Newport Community First Responders plays a vital role in safeguarding the health of people living in and around Newport in Shrophsire. Operated entirely by trained volunteers, the group responds directly to 999 calls passed through the West Midlands Ambulance Service Control Room.
The Axis Foundation has awarded them £10,000 towards a new Community Response car to replace the group’s ageing existing vehicle.
“That’s absolutely fantastic news thank you. Switching to a plug-in hybrid will reduce fuel costs significantly and create long-term environmental benefits. The new vehicle will secure the future of the First Responders’ Scheme for the next decade, ensuring volunteers can continue bridging the widening gap between the 999 call and ambulance arrival.
“With emergency services stretched and delays increasingly common, the new vehicle will strengthen support for some of the area’s most vulnerable people, including the elderly and those with complex health conditions who require frequent urgent care.
“It will ensure that lifesaving, community-based emergency support remains available whenever it is needed most” – Russell Brooks, Community Response Co-ordinator
More about Newport First Responders
Since its formation, Newport First Responders has treated more than 11,000 people across a catchment area of 50,000 residents. Their community-based model enables them to reach patients quickly, particularly in remote rural areas where ambulance response times can take an hour or more.
Responders attend the most critical emergencies, including cardiac arrests, strokes, paediatric cases, falls from height and severe road traffic collisions. Equipped with lifesaving tools such as a defibrillator and oxygen, they can assess patients, deliver urgent treatment and relay vital information back to both the Control Room and receiving hospitals so clinicians can prepare treatment plans without delay. In the past year alone, their intervention has helped save the lives of two people in cardiac arrest.
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Care

Bromley Brighter Beginnings

December 16, 2025By

Sweeter, safer sleep for children – a bed for every child

Bromley Brighter Beginnings supports families across the London Borough of Bromley, providing essential items to reduce child poverty and ensure children have a safe, dignified start in life.

The Axis Foundation has donated £15,000 to Bromley Brighter Beginnings for its Bed For Every Child Project. The donation will fund new beds, mattresses and essential bedding, including pillows, duvets and mattress protectors, all delivered and professionally assembled in family homes across Bromley.

The funding will provide safe beds for 30 children, improving sleep, wellbeing and educational outcomes, while positively benefiting entire families across the borough.

“Thank you ever so much for this incredible support. We were absolutely delighted to receive the news, and Bromley Brighter Beginnings is hugely grateful to the Axis Foundation for this level of funding. It will have a profound impact on our Bed For Every Child project and the families we support. This funding means children will have a safe, comfortable place to sleep, restoring dignity, improving wellbeing and giving families much-needed peace of mind” – Rhian Arrenberg, Grants and Fundraising Lead

For more information, visit Bromley Brighter Beginnings’ website here

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Care

Better life for Reuben

July 2, 2025By

Specialist equipment creates a better life for little Reuben and his family

Axis’ Lorrae Mannering suggested to our Trustees that the Axis Foundation might support Reuben Whitehead and his family. Little Reuben, now six years old, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism and is likely to need a liver transplant. He has had over 66 operations in his short life. He is nil by mouth and so needs total parental nutrition (TPN) for feeding and hydration which restricts him to his cot 16 hours per day.

Reuben has been in the care of our charity partner Demelza – he and his family live near their premises in Sittingbourne, Kent, where Axis also works and has offices.

After seeing Lorrae’s application, the Trustees of the Axis Foundation were unanimous in their support and have agreed to donate £5,575 to purchase some specialist equipment to help Reuben and his family.

This includes a height-adjustable bath, sensory toys, an air purifier and a steam cleaner as well as a special jogger pushchair.

Reuben’s father told us what a difference these will make to their lives:

“We would like to thank Lorrae for putting us forward, and the Axis Foundation for their amazing donation to help our boy Reuben. It’s gone towards buying him a new jogger push chair which has helped in giving us the freedom of getting him out and about without having to use his heavy bulky wheelchair, also a roof box for our car so that we can travel easier with all his medical equipment.

“The main thing that it’s going to help buy is a special height-adjustable bath that is literally going to change our lives in helping caring for him at home and also a steam cleaner to help keep his room sterile and an air purifier to keep him as well as we can at home.

“We can’t thank everyone enough at the Axis Foundation for these items, they really have made a difference already” – Allan and Janine, Reuben’s parents

Lorrae said: “I’m so grateful that we have the Axis Foundation available to consider causes and individuals like Reuben. He is a remarkable little warrior.
It’s difficult to comprehend what their family have to deal with on a daily basis. Just to pass on their story in the hopes that the Foundation could help was the least I could do and I’m so thankful that they agreed.”

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Care

Goalball

December 12, 2024By

Sport Support for partially-sighted or blind children

Goalball is a sport specifically designed for blind and partially-sighted children and young people

Our donation of £5,000 will purchase football equipment for Goalball UK’s schools’ programme which aims to deliver goalball sessions to schools across the UK.

“This grant will allow us to support more children and young people who are blind or partially sighted to participate in sport and physical activity. It is well documented that this will also help with mental health.

”We are very grateful to the Axis Foundation who are supporting our mission for Goalball to empower people to live and play an active part in an inclusive society” –  Mark Winder, Chief Executive Officer at Goalball UK

Children and young people who are blind or partially sighted do not generally receive high quality PE at their schools. And Goalball UK aims to provide transformational opportunities so that they can now experience the challenge and joy of team-based sport.

There’s more about Goalball UK here

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