Charity Ball

Our Charity Ball 2025

December 19, 2025By

Changing lives for the better

Thanks to our amazing friends, guests and supporters we raised over £160,000 at the 2025 Axis Foundation Charity Ball.

 

This incredible amount is shared as ever between Demelza, our charity partner, and the Axis Foundation.

This was a particularly special Charity Ball for us – we had even more than usual to celebrate at this year’s prestigious event.

Magnificent Milestones

In addition to sharing the great news that we have changed many lives for the better, whether that be helping a
seriously ill child and their family at Demelza, or donating to small, local and impactful causes via our
Foundation, we were delighted and proud to share with our guests some fantastic milestones we have reached in 2025.

£3m raised!

First is the news that we – with the help of our friends – have donated an incredible £3m to 430+ causes in our
16-year history. We think that is something to be very proud of.

£1m to Demelza

Next up is the fact that our donations to Demelza have topped the £1m mark. Again, none of what we achieve would be possible without the generosity of our supporters..

John Hayes awarded MBE

And last – but truly not least – you may have heard that our founder John Hayes was this year awarded
an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list for charitable services. We are as proud of John as he is of this recognition of our remarkable charity.

See more here!

  • You can see some examples of the causes we have supported this year here.
  • And photos of the 2025 Charity Ball here
  • Plus our Souvenir programme here

Thank You

Once more a great big thank you to all our guests who really joined in the fun, supported our auctions,
table games and raffle and enjoyed our music, magic and dancing, as well as the delicious
dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

Thank You to all the following who all so kindly supported our charity ball by booking a table …

A to Z Stone Repairs
AC Davis Electrical
ALP Group
Barwin
City Plumbing
Crown Paints
DMD
DMJ
Dynes Group
Enviro Contract Solutions
Estec Engineering
Exterior Plas
FFT
First Choice Drainage
Fleetwood
Hall & Gertski
John Hayes
Tim Hayes
Heron
Howden
Howells
Joe Ibrahim
LMP Installations
Martin Arnold
Meru
Peter Varney Associates
Pioneer Site Services
Premier Property
R.E.B Group
Regen Solutions
Rubix M&E
Russell Trew
Sei Contractor
Stak Scaffold
Stonegrove
Symphony Windows
TSM Heating Services
TW Drainage
UAS
UK Roofing
VH Electrical
VivBuild

… And to these generous friends who donated to the ball or contributed prizes and gifts

Abal Environmental Services
Abdelmalik Hamli
Electrician Network UK
Eres Group
Exterior Plas
Fleetnetix
Sarah May Hayes Bid Writing
Margo Manning
NIAA People
SecureTec
Medway Scaffolding Solutions
Heldrone

And to our sponsors …

A-Z Stone Repairs – Event
Sponsor
NxtGen – Event Sponsor
Stonegrove – Event Sponsor
Symphony Windows – Band Sponsor

… And, as always, a big thank you to …

Alan Curbishley – tireless Patron of the Axis Foundation
Steve Sutherland – our wonderful MC
Charles Hanson – our fabulous auctioneer

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Demelza

We’ve donated £1m to Demelza!!

December 17, 2025By

Axis Foundation celebrates donating £1m to Demelza in 2025

This year, the Axis Foundation marks a milestone: we have donated a total of £1m to Demelza, our charity partner.

That we have achieved this amazing figure in our 16-year history of giving is – in huge part – a tribute to the generosity of our supporters who have donated so generously, and our volunteers to have given their time to raise funds for our charity partner.

These words come direct from Demelza to you!

“This year, Demelza is proud to be supporting over 2,700 children and family members. Each day, we strive to reach more children living with serious or life-limiting conditions, while continuing to strengthen the care and support we already provide to families who rely on us.

“Everything we do is made possible by the kindness and commitment of our supporters. As a charity, we exist because of you – your generosity fuels every moment of care, every family visit, and every smile we help create, every bit of sunshine we bring into a child’s life.

“During our partnership with the Axis Foundation, this remarkable charity has donated over a phenomenal £1 million to us!

“As more children are living longer with increasingly complex medical needs, the demand for our services continues to grow. With your help, we’re determined to be there for every extraordinary child and family who needs our extraordinary care – today, tomorrow, and into the future.

“From all of us at Demelza, a heartfelt thank you to the Axis Foundation. Your belief in our work means more than words can say. Your unwavering passion, your creativity, and compassion have never failed to inspire us. The energy you bring to every fundraising effort and the dedication you show year after year truly make a difference. No act of support is ever too small – each one helps transform lives” – Lavinia Jarrett, Chief Executive Officer

 

“We are truly honoured and deeply grateful for the incredible support the Axis Foundation has shown us over the years. Reaching the milestone of raising and donating over £1 million is a remarkable achievement.

“Your commitment has improved the lives of countless children and their families across Kent and south east London, and we’re so proud to have you as part of our journey” – Louise Earl, Corporate Accounts Partnership Manager

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Demelza

Makeovers and Marathons

December 17, 2025By

Our Volunteers Support Demelza

These are just a few examples of how Axis employees support our charity partner Demelza!

Axis volunteers conducted a garden makeover at Demelza’s hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent. They helped to tidy up the gardens by weeding and clearing paths, and set up Christmas trees, a gingerbread house archway and an inflatable Christmas dinosaur.

Our Kate Thomson (Social Impact Coordinator) ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise funds for Demelza and also hosted a Cake Sale.

Axis Volunteers restored the memorial garden at Demelza Hospice in Sittingbourne ahead of the charity’s annual Memorial Weekend – a meaningful event for bereaved families.

And some of our Axis people bravely took part in the 26.2-mile challenge of the 2025 London Marathon, raising £4,500 for Demelza.

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Four speakers address a roomNews

Spreading the Word: Axis Foundation Lunch & Learn

September 26, 2025By

Axis Foundation Trustees (l to r) Peter Varney (Chair), Claire Pearce, John Hayes MBE (Founder), Mick Hayes and Tim Hayes presented a Lunch & Learn session about the Axis Foundation to over 40 employees in our Stratford office.

Our employees: our eyes and ears

Because they work directly in homes, our employees, and specifically our operatives and Resident Liaison Officers, are the eyes and ears of Axis. And we rely on their support to identify people in need. So we gave all attendees information about how to identify and refer local, small causes and individuals who could benefit from funding through the Axis Foundation. And the session concluded with a Q&A, allowing the trustees to address several thoughtful questions from the audience.

Attendees said that the session helped improve their understanding of the Axis Foundation and how they can refer individuals and groups in need.

Ronald Fraser (Training Administrator) said: “[The event] was an eye opener for me. I came to appreciate the hard work that goes into fundraising. The ideal is that we shouldn’t just be considerate constructors, but great neighbours who look out for one another, too! It was inspiring to hear of the tangible, enduring and immediate impact grants are making to the most vulnerable in our society. I would encourage every corporate team to discuss how they could be playing a role in helping those who deliver front line services to our residents.”

Do you know someone who needs a helping hand?

The Axis Foundation’s mission is to make meaningful, long-lasting change in our local community. If you know an organisation, family or individual in your community who could benefit from a grant from the Axis foundation, please apply on their behalf here or share this form with them.

Celebrating our £3m milestone

We were also marking a magnificent milestone: since 2009, our Foundation has donated a total of £3 million to small, local and impactful causes, with a focus on supporting small organisations and individuals to create meaningful, long-lasting change in the communities where Axis works.

READ MORE
Axis Foundation logo, bit three million pounds in goldNews

£3m Donated – Mission Milestone!

September 19, 2025By

Axis Foundation Reaches £3m Milestone in Donations

We are proud to announce that the Axis Foundation has donated £3 million to over 400 small, local and impactful causes since 2009. This milestone reflects our enduring mission: to provide a hand up, not a hand out, to individuals and communities most in need.

From the very beginning, our vision has been clear – to give back to the communities where our parent company Axis works. In our first eight years, we donated £1m to 110 causes and were honoured with the Corporate Foundation of the Year Award at the Business Charity Awards, our little Foundation triumphing over far larger organisations such as Credit Suisse and PwC who also have incredibly successful and effective charitable foundations.

We’ve always been proud that we punch well above our body weight! Our impact is significant, despite our small size!

In 2022, we proudly reached the £2m landmark, and now, just three years later in 2025, we celebrate an incredible £3m milestone.

And indeed, this has been a year of celebration: our Founder John Hayes was awarded an MBE for charitable services in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Our donations have changed lives – from supporting families at our charity partner Demelza Hospice to funding hundreds of highly individual and personal causes to make a lasting difference.

And although we know money cannot buy happiness per se, we know that it can bring many a smile of happiness! And you can see plenty of examples here 

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Long line of golf players and big cheque at centreNews

Axis Foundation Celebrity Golf Day 2025

August 1, 2025By

The Axis Foundation’s fundraiser, the Alan Curbishley Classic Celebrity Golf Day, raised £26,000 in sponsorship, support and donations and, on the day, at raffles and through contributions.

This amazing sum will be shared, via the Axis Foundation with our charity partner, Demelza, and small, local and impactful causes.

On the day, we also presented Demelza with a cheque for £173,000 which will help them in their work supporting children with serious or life-limiting conditions, providing expert clinical care and helping to create extraordinary moments along the way.

Thank you to All

A big thank you to all our friends who supported us!

Top of the list of our “thank yous” is Alan Curbishley, our esteemed and tireless patron who kindly lent his name to our tournament and whose support we value deeply.

Special thanks too, to our suppliers and subcontractors who so generously supported the day:

  • Adeva Homes
  • Bauder
  • DMD Contracts
  • DMJ
  • Elite FLS
  • Emplas
  • ESTEC
  • FFT
  • Hall & Gertski Wealth Management
  • Heron Joinery
  • Howells Solutions
  • JEM
  • Martin Arnold
  • Pioneer
  • Russell Trew
  • Symphony Windows
  • TW Drainage
  • VH Electrical

Big gratitude to our celebrities who headed up the teams including:

  • Dave Beasant, ace goalkeeper for Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Southampton
  • Dean Ashton, Football League and Premier League forward and England cap
  • George Parris, former midfielder/defender for West Ham, Birmingham City, and Brighton & Hove Albion
  • John Conteh, British boxing legend
  • John Moncur, football chairman and former midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Swindon Town and West Ham United
  • Lee Bowyer, manager including for Charlton Athletic, and former professional player
  • Mark Dennis, former left-back for Birmingham City, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace
  • Martin O’Neill, Northern Irish association football manager
  • Matt Le Tissier, Southampton’s top scoring midfielder
  • Mick McCarthy, professional football manager, pundit and former footballer
  • Paul Walsh, former professional footballer who now works as a television pundit
  • Ray Houghton, former professional footballer and current sports analyst and commentator with RTÉ Sport
  • Ray Parlour, former professional footballer and sports radio pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live and Talksport

And finally, a personal thank you too, from Axis people – John Hayes, Joseph Hayes, Ben Ibrahim, Marc Jeffrey and Adam Whitbread – to their guests:

  • Usman Malik
  • Jeremy Cunningham
  • Andrea Joseph
  • Neil Watts
  • Bradley Green
  • Ian Conquest
  • Tom Preston
  • Sam Preston
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News

Our Founder Awarded MBE

June 30, 2025By

John Hayes, founder of the Axis Foundation, received an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list in June for charitable services

On receiving the news of his MBE, John Hayes said: “I accept the award as recognition of our team of Axis people, our trustees and patron and our generous guests at our annual fundraising charity ball and golf day.

“They have done so much to support the Foundation over the past 16 years. I thank everyone for playing such a key role in the Axis Foundation and am truly humbled by your support.”

John Hayes created the Axis Foundation in 2009 “to formalise and capture all the elements of giving that we were already doing across the company, Axis Europe”. Since then, the Foundation has supported 360+ small, local and impactful causes with donations totalling £3m.

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News

Axis’ Corporate Donation to Foundation 2024

December 24, 2024By

Axis, our parent company, makes a corporate donation to the Axis Foundation every year.

And this year is no exception: our new owners HIG agreed to continue our tradition in the form of a corporate donation of £100,000 to be made from Axis to our registered charity.

This sum – plus all the money we raised this year with the help of our generous supporters at our golf day and charity ball – is shared between Demelza, our charity partner, and the small, local and impactful causes the Axis Foundation has proudly supported for 15 years.

Plus our own amazing Axis people have made special donations in the form of time spent fundraising (running Marathons, climbing mountains!) as well as volunteering at Foundation charities and at Demelza.

This year, 2024 the Axis Foundation donated £500,000 to 50+ causes and individuals, changing the lives of many for the better. We:

  • Provided children with disability with therapy, mobility aids and bespoke activities
  • Supported the homeless, rough sleepers and those living in temporary accommodation
  • Funded positive emotional wellbeing support for disadvantaged and isolated people
  • Helped survivors of sex trafficking

That’s just a few – you can see more examples of our donations here

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Charity Ball

Axis Foundation Charity Ball 2024 raises £185,000

December 12, 2024By

Thanks to the generosity of our guests, sponsors and supporters, our 18th Axis Foundation Charity Ball raised an incredible £185,000

All proceeds from the ball go to our charity partner Demelza and to the Axis Foundation

The Axis Foundation supports through donations small, local and impactful causes; and Demelza looks after children with serious and terminal illnesses and their families. And our guests can be assured that every penny they donated on the night of the charity ball will reach an individual or a cause directly – and make a real difference.

As our Trustees’ Chairman, Peter Varney, said: “Thank you to all our guests for helping change lives for the better.”

We all enjoyed a truly wonderful evening with highlights including our auction (which featured a stunning pendant donated by jewellers G Collins & Sons), fun table games, a raffle, a delicious dinner and drinks plus music, magic and dancing – all in the splendid surrounds at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and supported us through sponsorship and donations – and to those who gave their time too, in particular our MC for the night Steve Sutherland and our tireless patron Alan Curbishley.

We are truly grateful.

See our full gallery of photos here and our our Charity Ball Programme here

Thank you…

….To all the following who booked a table …

  • A-Z Stone Repairs
  • AC Davis Electrical
  • Adeva Home Improvements BJL Electrical
  • Crown Paints
  • DM Jones
  • DMD Installations
  • DMG Offices
  • Dulux Decorator Centre
  • E&C Construction
  • Enviro Contract Solutions
  • Estec Engineering
  • Exterior Plas
  • FFT
  • First Choice Drainage Solution Gertski Wealth Management John Hayes, Founder Axis Foundation
  • Tim Hayes, MD Axis
  • Heron
  • Howdens
  • Howells
  • Integrated Solutions at
  • City Plumbing
  • J&D Pallet Services
  • Joe Ibrahim, MD Axis
  • LMP London
  • M&R
  • Margo Manning
  • Martin Arnold
  • Masons Scaffolding
  • Meru Services
  • Pioneer Site Services
  • Premier Roofing
  • REB Group
  • Regen Solutions
  • Russell Trew
  • SEI
  • Symphony Windows
  • Think Business Support
  • TW Drainage
  • UAS
  • Ultimate Services
  • VH Electrical
  • Peter Varney Associates

… and to these generous guests who have donated to the ball or contributed prizes and gifts …

  • Abdelmalik Hamli
  • AkzoNobel
  • Butler and Young
  • CLC
  • G Collins & Sons, Jewellers DFS Building
  • DSG Build
  • Gaia Newton Associates Hampson & Luck
  • H.I.G.
  • JLJ Decor
  • Kopa Scaffold
  • MC Builders UK
  • MMP Consultancy
  • Oakview Window Company Pinnacle ESP
  • Rose Construction
  • Stakot Construction
  • Summit 1986
  • Teco Interiors
  • Thomas & Thomas
  • Timeless Windows
  • TQW International
  • Wadesons
  • Zendrill

… to our sponsors …

  • Exterior Plas – Event Sponsor
  • Solace Electrical – Event and Champagne Reception Sponsor
  • Alandale – Photographers
  • Example Recruitment Group – Reception Trio, Santa Babies
  • Exterior Plas – Dinner Singer, Paul Holgate
  • GAA Design – Raffle
  • Jaw Roofing – Band, Soul Connection
  • Rocc – Raffle
  • Softcat – Raffle

… and, as always, a big thank you to …

  • Alan Curbishley – patron of the Axis Foundation
  • Steve Sutherland – MC for the night
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Demelza

Marathon Mike

October 21, 2024By

Axis’ Michael MacGibbon runs Royal Parks Half Marathon for Demelza

Mike raised £680 plus £170 gift aid for our charity partner Demelza running the Royal Parks Half Marathon

Axis’ Mike MacGibbon, Senior Contract Manager, completed the Royal Parks Half Marathon in two hours, 23 minutes and 13 seconds raising funds for our charity partner Demelza. Mike told us: “This was the second time I have taken part in this half marathon; the last time was the very first event in 2008!

“The weather was ideal to be running around parts of London, taking in Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and many more. Only five miles of the 13.1 route is on the road, the remaining 8.1 miles snake around Hyde Park.

“I didn’t know just how big the park is and how beautiful it is with The Serpentine river, and the autumn leaves providing colour.

“Representatives from various charities were out along the route to encourage their runners.The Demelza Team was positioned at mile six and nine, so their support was very welcome.

“I would recommend this event to anyone, whether putting your running shoes on for the first time or a seasoned runner, as it is well organised, well supported by the crowds and takes in some famous landmarks of London.”

You can still support Mike by making a donation here.

Demelza’s 20 runners raised nearly £13,000. Well done to everyone who ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Demelza!

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