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.
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
New Hoist Opens Up Riding to Individuals with Complex Mobility Needs
At Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), horses benefit the lives of over 20,000 disabled children and adults.
The Axis Foundation has awarded £10,815 to East Liverpool Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) to fund a new rider hoist system.
“Thank you so much for this fantastic news. We are delighted to be able to extend our reach and support even more people in our community” — Natalie Burns, Chair and Founder
Equine therapy improves physical health, confidence, emotional resilience, and social connection. The hoist also strengthens safeguarding and reduces manual handling risks for staff and volunteers.
And our investment will further unlock 10 additional hours of sessions per week, supporting up to 19 more participants weekly. It will remove barriers for individuals with complex mobility needs, enabling greater independence and participation.
More about East Liverpool Riding for the Disabled Association
East Liverpool Riding for the Disabled is an independent community run charity set up to provide equine assisted therapy and riding sessions for children and adults in Merseyside.
At Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), horses benefit the lives of over 20,000 disabled children and adults. With fun activities like riding and carriage driving, they provide therapy, fitness, skills development and opportunities for achievement – all supported by 13,000 volunteers and qualified coaches at over 400 RDA centres all over the UK.
There’s more about East Liverpool Riding for the Disabled Association here
The Axis Foundation has awarded £10,000 to Simply Limitless towards a new heating and hot water system for its community centre in Kidderminster.
“This support helps us create a safe, welcoming space where our community can thrive” — Ralph Pars, Operations Manager
More about Simply Limitless
Simply Limitless delivers programmes supporting over 250 people weekly, including mental health support, employability training, and inclusive fitness sessions.
The new heating system is essential to make the new centre fully operational, enabling services to return under one roof and provide a warm, safe space for individuals facing isolation, homelessness, or financial hardship—particularly critical during winter months.
Open Hands provides furniture, clothing, food, and household essentials to individuals and families in crisis in Leicester.
The Axis Foundation has awarded £8,995 to Open Hands to support the purchase of a replacement van for their furniture service.
“This funding will make a real difference, helping us continue to provide essential support to those who need it most” — Matt Tomlin, Furniture Service Manager
“Your donation made a big difference in not only helping us to purchase the van, but to being able to do so quickly” – Heather Berry, Communications and Marketing Coordinator
A new, reliable vehicle will increase delivery capacity, reduce maintenance costs, and ensure continuity of service. It will directly support around 400 individuals annually, with wider indirect benefits. The van is critical to collecting and delivering donated items across the city.
More about Open Hands
Open Hands seeks to meet the emergency practical needs of people in Leicester. We nurture dignity and hope grown through community care.
They aim to meet the practical needs of guests through the supply of emergency provision and service signposting.
With 9% of UK adults unable to afford basic furniture, demand continues to rise. The charity supported 380 individuals and 170 households in the past year through its furniture service alone.
Specialist Mobility Chair Enhances Independence and Safety
Charlotte lives with congenital spinal stenosis linked to achondroplasia, requiring highly specialised seating and mobility support.
Charlotte’s current mobility chair, in use since 2007, was damaged in a road traffic accident and is no longer safe.
On hearing of her situation, the Trustees of the Axis Foundation awarded £4,235 to Charlotte to complete the purchase of a specialist Balder powerchair and extended warranty.
The new chair will enable Charlotte to travel safely, attend medical appointments, continue physiotherapy, and maintain independence in daily living.
Charlotte says: “Thank you very much for your contribution toward my new powerchair, I am extremely grateful for the generous grant. It wasn’t until I began using my new Balder that I realised how worn out my old one was.”
Specialist Equipment Provides Lifeline for Young Boy and his Family
Axis Site Supervisor Christian Florin Bagacian applied to the Axis Foundation through our Eyes and Ears initiative, on behalf of resident Gemma Wilson and her son Harvey Turrell in Sidcup.
While delivering works to adapt the family home, Christian identified urgent needs as Harvey receives end-of-life care.
The Axis Foundation awarded £1,750 to fund a specialist buggy, storage solutions, and custom footwear, alongside additional financial support for the family. These items will significantly improve daily care and mobility.
“Thank you so much for all your support on this good cause. Harvey’s mum received the news with such great happiness and gratitude for everything that we have done for them” — Christian Florin Bagacian
More about Harvey
Harvey lives with multiple severe conditions, including Cri du Chat syndrome, profound learning disability, microcephaly, hypotonia, and sight impairment. He currently lacks suitable footwear due to delays in clinical decisions, limiting his ability to practise walking and standing. The buggy will support safe mobility, while storage will help manage essential medical equipment.
The support will ease physical and emotional strain on Harvey’s mother, particularly during temporary relocation while home adaptations are completed. It also ensures Harvey can move safely and comfortably.
New Equipment Transforms Therapy for Children with Complex Conditions
Steps caters for young children with cerebral palsy, chromosome disorders including Down Syndrome or other conditions which affect the acquisition of motor skills.
The Axis Foundation has awarded £1,447.54 to Steps Conductive Education Centre to purchase specialist outdoor play equipment.
Outdoor equipment plays a vital role in physical development and engagement. It supports mobility, coordination, and learning in an environment where many children thrive. Sessions also equip parents with skills to support development at home, providing vital emotional and practical support.
“We purchased some toys and equipment with the grant including Peanut balls, also known as physio rolls, which are an important tool used at Steps as part of our conductive education sessions.
“They offer greater stability than traditional round therapy balls by limiting movement to forward and backward motion, while still providing the challenge of maintaining balance.
“So they help children develop gross motor skills, core strength, postural stability, balance and body awareness, encouraging children to move, adjust their position, remain engaged, and stay active in their learning.
“We are really grateful for the funding provided, which made it possible for us to purchase some valuable equipment into our setting. Families have shared positive feedback and truly appreciate the opportunities these resources offer” – Trish Mabbott, Fundraiser and Operations Manager
More about Steps
Steps supports children with complex conditions such as cerebral palsy and genetic disorders, helping them develop mobility, independence, and confidence through tailored therapy.
Learn more about Steps Conductive Education Centre here
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.
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
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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