Children at Holy Lodge Centre learning about natureDonations

Holly Lodge Centre

May 14, 2018By

Granting urban children chance to discover nature at Outdoor Learning Centre

Holly Lodge Centre is an outdoor learning centre in Richmond Park. Here they’ve adapted their beautiful two-acre nature trail to allow children – including those with even the most complex needs – to access the natural world.

In 2017, over 5,600 children – 678 of whom were disabled – attended Holly Lodge Centre natural world workshops. For some it was their very first encounter with nature. Many of the pupils live in high rise flats and attend schools with tarmac outdoor areas. They met tadpoles, newts, stag beetles and even slugs and snails: some had never seen such creatures before.

In 2018, the Axis Foundation granted £4,000 towards the outdoor learning centre to create more workshops and provide additional transport so that more children can attend.

“This donation is so exciting, giving children living in urban areas the opportunity to get outside and discover for themselves fantastic invertebrates, birds and pond creatures.

“We can immediately see the benefit these children get from being in a natural space, they get so excited to even see ants! It is most amazing for children who struggle in the classroom, their teachers are delighted to see them so enthusiastic to learn about wildlife in our beautiful setting.

“It is vital that children have the opportunity to explore and discover nature; even more so for children with disabilities who have least access to the outside world.

“Thanks to the generous donation from the Axis Foundation we were able to deliver 12 free workshops… The feedback from the sessions was overwhelming positive with 100% of the schools scoring each session with 5 out of 5 for the group enjoying the session and for the session meeting their curriculum requirements” – Anna King, Centre Manager

What the teachers said

  • “Exciting, engaging tasks….. we loved the pollen games, making a tree, potting plants and the leaves’ hunt. It was perfect, thank you so much”
  • “Hands-on pond dipping enthralled our pupils. Very happy with our experiences, we would love a longer day”
  • “The children really enjoyed looking for bugs and lifting logs to see what was underneath them”
  • “The level of detail in each session was really valuable, the class particularly enjoyed the camouflage”
  • “All of it was really good, especially the outdoor activities where the children can get stuck in with nature”

 

 

 

 

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Child touches interactive wall in sensory room at Mapledown SchoolDonations

Mapledown School

April 12, 2018By

Providing immersive sensory room for children with Special Educational Needs

The Axis Foundation granted £3,000 to Mapledown School, helping to fund a sensory room. This is an immersive environment that helps children to learn and captures their imaginations. It is highly interactive. Students touch imagery projected onto the walls which emits a response, like bubbles appearing in a virtual aquarium or stars in the night sky. The room also features an Eye Gaze station where students can play educational games with their eye movements, which are tracked using a detector.

Our donation paid for ceiling work that enabled projectors and an interactive music system to be installed and also purchased an APPlicator device that allows students who are unable to use their hands to interact with a tablet.

“We are grateful for the generous donation of the Axis Foundation which has provided more opportunities for our students to learn and explore through lessons and recreation” – Daniel Green, Mapledown School

More about Mapledown

Some of Mapledown School’s pupils have sensory impairments, physical difficulties or challenging behaviour. Therefore, the school’s resources include a multi-sensory room, a hydrotherapy pool, a soft play room and a fully equipped gym. This ensures that every child receives the support they need. Friends of Mapledown is a registered charity that helps to raise money for the school’s specialist equipment, which is usually very expensive by nature. The charity is formed of a small group of teachers and parents that also contribute towards gifts for the children and extracurricular activities where they can.

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Colourful planters with large ladybird models at Carmel Caterpillars pre-schoolDonations

Carmel Caterpillars Pre-School

January 9, 2018By

Helping children learn through play

Carmel Caterpillars Pre-school is a committee-run service in Sittingbourne that has been running for over 44 years. It has given parents in the community a safe place for their children to learn and play.

Their small garden was in dire need of some TLC. And so, Lorrae Mannering, whose son attends the pre-school, approached the Foundation for help. And we were delighted to support Lorrae’s application.

We donated £650 to fund garden equipment and craft materials. Specifically the donation purchased fencing, a new roof for the playhouse, a pirate ship, a new drying rack, paints, easel, craft materials, toys, paint brushes, flower pots and plants. The pre-school used these to revitalise the garden to create a more exciting space for children.

“The donation from the Axis Foundation has been amazing and is really benefitting the children and will continue to do so for years to come. We’d all like to say a very big thank you from us and the children and an extra special thank you to Lorrae for helping to organise the funding” – Louise Leppenwell, Carmel Caterpillars

More About Carmel Caterpillars

Carmel Caterpillars believes that ‘Children learn through play’ and aims to ensure that the children who attend are free to choose from a range of activities that will help them to develop and learn. The pre-school operates within the local church hall and currently runs morning and afternoon sessions, each attended by around 30 children

 

 

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Two girls at craft sessions at Newhaven YFCDonations

Newhaven YFC

July 12, 2017By

Craft sessions encourage creativity in young people

The Axis Foundation donated £550 to Newhaven YFC, a youth club in East Sussex that provides children with a safe place to socialise and have fun. The donation funded essential craft materials for their weekly craft sessions which are incredibly popular with the children that attend.

“We are very reliant on grants such as this for extras for the young people so that we can keep them engaged and learning in a fun way. We are very grateful to the Axis Foundation for your generosity  – Sara Alexander, Youth Worker

More About Newhaven YFC

Newhaven YFC aims to engage children in meaningful activities and provide them with a place where they can be creative and interact with their peers. In order to keep the club accessible for all, they only ask for a small contribution of 50p to attend sessions. Newhaven YFC believes that it is important for young people to have access to enriching activities at a low cost as it encourages positive social interaction and allows them to discover new hobbies.

Currently, around 40 young people attend the weekly activities, which range from sports, cooking, crafts sessions and games. These activities give children something fun to look forward to while keeping them out of trouble. Furthermore, children are encouraged to communicate with staff about how they’re feeling and discuss issues that may be bothering them.

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Three children have their face painted at elevating success event.Donations

Elevating Success

June 29, 2017By

Helping community training enterprise turn lives around

Elevating Success is a community training charity helping underprivileged people in matters of employment, training or education.

They organise the Lewisham Youth Conference which inspires individuals to reach their full potential and shows them local voluntary and job opportunities. There are workshops, performances, talks and informal discussions about personal and professional wellbeing.

In 2017, the Axis Foundation granted £1,500 to Elevating Success. The donation sponsored the Youth Achievement Awards at the Lewisham Youth Conference that year. The awards recognise the positive work of young people in their local community.

 “We are really grateful for the donation from the Axis Foundation. It meant that we were able to give out three awards at Lewisham Youth Conference 2017. These awards celebrate the work, commitment and selflessness of the people in our community. The funding by  the Axis Foundation allowed us to recognise and celebrate these achievements. We look forward to working with you again in the future” – Conference Organiser and CEO Andrew Brown

Earlier Donations

The Axis Foundation has regularly supported Elevating Success since our first grant to them of £2,500 in 2013. We have made subsequent donations of £2,000 in 2014 and £1,500 in 2016 totalling, with our 2017 donation, £7,500.

“We’re happy to back a local project that provides positive activities in a safe and welcoming environment for children who need support. If this gives the young people involved a focused outlet, some new skills and interests and encourages social interaction and ultimately keeps them out of trouble – it has to be a good thing” –  Peter Varney, Chairman, Axis Foundation Trustees

More about Elevating Success

Elevating Success, established in 2008, supports 1,400 underprivileged individuals a year. The charity delivers training in employability and personal development and offers rehabilitation for offenders, holiday programmes and events, Their primary focus is to provide community training in Croydon, Lambeth and Lewisham, but their reach extends across the capital.

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Two people playing Table Tennis at Pimlico Foundation youth projectDonations

Pimlico Foundation

March 12, 2017By

Youth project activities reduce anti-social behaviour

The Pimlico Foundation runs after school clubs, one-on-one mentoring, detached youth work, sports and creative activities, all of which are designed to prevent anti-social behaviour and encourage community spirit.

The Axis Foundation donated £700 to the youth project to help them purchase equipment including board games and a table tennis set. This donation means that there is a wider range of activities available at the weekly youth club. These sessions provide the young people who attend with a safe and relaxed space where they can interact with each other and engage with informal learning which serves to enhance their social and personal development.

“We’d like to thank the Axis Foundation for their gift of a donation. It has enabled us to purchase a table tennis set and board games and these are perfect ways to encourage the young people who visit us to interact with each other. The donation has added to our youth work and we appreciate the support as it’s something that the children are really benefiting from” – Mark Liburd, Senior Youth Worker

More About The Pimlico Foundation

The Pimlico Foundation works with young people to create a hub which provides physical, emotional and spiritual support, helping them to reach their full potential. The charity holds a weekly ‘hot chocolate outreach’ which reaches around 100 people. Attendees receive free hot chocolate and get the chance to speak to the youth workers from the charity about local events and help to shape the community.

The youth project operates under the youth movement Outbreak, which aims to create a cohesive community and help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds living in Pimlico

 

 

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Co-ordinator of Camberwell After School Project receiving cheque.Donations

Camberwell After School Project

February 1, 2017By

Children can socialise in safe after-school club

Camberwell After School club  enables children to socialise with each other in a constructive and enriching environment and we are happy that our support will be used to bring smiles to local children’s faces. Our donation of £1,000 bought gifts, toys and resources for children within the Camberwell community to enjoy.

“The donation has come as a blessing and it’s a great Christmas present for the children and we’re very grateful” – Carmen Lindsay MBE, Chief Executive Officer

“This after school club is vital for parents as it gives them peace of mind and practical support in terms of caring for their children whilst juggling their career or studies. They don’t receive much support though, so I’m really happy that the Foundation is helping them” –  Leah Kimani, parent

“We liked the cause and recognise the importance of knowing that your children are cared for whilst balancing working and family life. Services such as the Camberwell After School Project are a valuable asset to our community and it is important that we do everything that we can to support them ” – Foundation Trustee, Sandie Ryan

 

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A child plays in the sensory soft room at Tower Hamlets Opportunity Group.Donations

Tower Hamlets Opportunity Group

December 12, 2016By

Safe sensory soft room for playgroup children

The Tower Hamlets Opportunity Group is a playgroup which provides a safe environment for all children (under 5) living in the borough supporting them on their journey into school.

51% of the children who attend the playgroup have a disability or additional needs, so it’s important that parents feel confident their children are involved in a safe, fully inclusive, pre-school, educational environment. In addition, Tower Hamlets Opportunity Group, a registered charity, aims to reduce isolation by helping people become part of the community.

In 2016 we made a donation of  £9,097. With this grant the Group created a sensory soft room including soft cushioning, steps, a slide, a mirror a dome, a projector and a twinkle hut for the children. Here the Tower Hamlets children – particularly those with disabilities – can learn and develop as they engage with their peers in a safe with a safe, stimulating and enriching environment.

“The sensory soft room was a simple design but it ticks all the boxes for under 5s development. It gives our little ones the scope to be confident and supports their imagination and physical development. Thank you for providing us with such a useful resource. Our children have really benefited from using the sensory room. It is a bright, soft and atmospheric room that everyone loves to use” – Lorraine Dooley MBE, Project Co-ordinator

 “The children at the setting are making great use of the sensory soft room that the Axis Foundation awarded us funding for. It has been such a great resource. The play practitioners and children are delighted”- Alan Dooley, Capacity Building Officer

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Braille at Clearvision for visually impaired childrenDonations

ClearVision Project

October 20, 2016By

Support for visually impaired adults and children

Can you imagine what it would feel like if the world of books was closed to you because you were visually impaired? Books educate and inspire and bring people together. Whether it’s at bedtime, in the classroom or at a book club, reading plays an important part in our lives and encourages sharing – pages, opinions and ideas. Indeed, as Roald Dahl said: “If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.”

The ClearVision Project is a charity that helps those with visual impairment They encourage the love of reading, increase the availability of books in accessible formats and promote the use of braille, Moon and tactile illustrations. Their specially-created books put print, braille and Moon (an easier version of braille) together on the page with pictures so that people with a visual impairment and sighted people can read together. Reaching all ages across the UK, their work is impressive and far-reaching.

The Axis Foundation’s grant of £4,000 to the ClearVision Project funded 100 dual print and Braille newly-fluent books including popular children’s classics The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl, Lizzie Zipmouth by Jacqueline Wilson, The Big Red Balloon by the charity’s patron, former children’s Laureate Anne Fine and The Hodgeheg by Dick King-Smith.

“We were delighted to receive your donation and would like to thank the Axis Foundation very much. With your help we can continue to meet the needs of our borrowers and bring them the joys of reading aloud and sharing books and stories.

“The books in contracted braille funded by the Axis Foundation are going strong and being very much enjoyed. The use they’re getting just goes to show how very much needed they are, and what a gap the funding has helped to fill.The results of our works are proven, opening the world of books up to those with a visual impairment, stimulating, educating and helping them progress and develop.

“Thank you very much for your help: the support of generous organisations like yourself is vital to our survival and ability to best meet the needs of our users.” Alexandra Britton, Director

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Child and teacher on Heltwate School trip to NorfolkDonations

Heltwate School

April 23, 2016By

Helping students with learning disabilities gain life skills

The Axis Foundation donated £200 to Heltwate School to assist them in organising a school trip to for their students: all have severe special educational needs and some are on the Autism spectrum. The children spent a week away on the Norfolk Coastline. They stayed in two youth hostels and visited destinations and attractions around Norfolk.  Far more than a sight-seeing exercise, this school trip enabled students with learning disabilities firstly to live a little more independently, and also taught them some basic skills such as meal preparation and tidying, cleaning and bed making. For some it was the first time, or the longest time, that any of them had spent away from home.

Our donation made the trip even more special: it paid for the students to take part in a boat cruise – on which some thoroughly enjoyed steered the boat; and we also contributed to a day trip to the North Norfolk Railway which was a real treat as many of the children love transport.

“We were blown away to receive such a generous donation from the Axis Foundation. I cannot put into words the difference it made to our trip. They enjoyed themselves immensely and the growth in confidence and self esteem during the week away was evident” – Kim Granger, teacher 

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