Young child having swimming lessons with Level WaterDisability

Level Water

April 8, 2021By

Swimming for children with disability

Level Water trains swimming teachers to deliver specialist swimming lessons for children with disabilities.

Our donation of £1,250 to Level Water will fund Teacher Training Workshops in Shoreham, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill in Sussex; and in Tonbridge and Dover in Kent.

“It’s great to be working with the Axis Foundation in Sussex and Kent… you are helping us to provide thousands of one-to-one lessons for children who otherwise may never learn to swim. After a year with the swimming pools shut, the children we support are excited to improve their swimming and to learn new skills both in the pool and out” – Ian Thwaites, CEO, Level Water

More about Level Water

Level Water, based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, supports children with disabilities to access a lifetime of sport, to develop physical skills, become socially included and build self-esteem and resilience. Specifically, Level Water provides specialist one-to-one swimming lessons for children aged 4-11 with physical or sensory disabilities. A qualified Level Two teacher delivers each lesson socially distanced.

Once they have learnt to swim, children can move to mainstream swimming lessons where Level Water teachers will carry on supporting them.

Therefore children with disabilities can continue to swim without barriers for the rest of their lives. And so they gain the long term benefits of mobility, raised self-esteem and greater resilience that swimming brings them too.

 More here

 

 

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Accessible platform with wheelchair users fishing BDAADisability

British Disabled Angling Association

April 8, 2021By

Helping disabled people enjoy fishing

In three separate donations, the Axis Foundation has helped The British Disabled Angling Association (BDAA) offer fishing opportunities to disabled children, young people and adults across the Midlands.

Electric reels

In 2023, we donated £5597 to purchase 20 electric reels (fishing reels and rod harnesses) as part of the adaptive equipment BDAA requires to deliver their projects.

“The British Disabled Angling Association (BDAA)would like to say a huge thank you for the generosity of the Axis Foundation’s latest donation of £5597. This has allowed the BDAA charity to purchase 20 specially adapted motorised touch button controlled fishing reels for people of all ages with disabilities to take up fishing for the first time or get back into fishing after a life changing event. These newly developed reels can be operated using only one hand making them ideal for stroke survivors and people with coordination difficulties.

“The BDAA’s overall aim is to enable disabled individuals to participate fully in angling, removing barriers and providing the necessary support and equipment to ensure a positive fishing experience. Your donation will go a long way in ensuring that individuals have the necessary tools to participate” – Troy Chadwick, BDAA Operations Manager

Fishing platforms

BDAA points out that many mobility and visually-impaired people have difficulties getting near the water’s edge. So, our earlier (2021) donation of £3,450 helped fund the creation and installation of an approved, bespoke, accessible group fishing platform.

“The Trustees and I would like to offer a huge thank you for the generosity of the Axis Foundation. Your grant has allowed us to provide accessible fishing platforms ensuring disabled people will be safe when fishing. The accessible fishing platforms with safety features help individuals and groups like our successful Disabilities Schools or Heroes Veterans.Your grant has ensured that the public can see first-hand the commitment we place on design and accessibility allowing more disabled children to participate alongside non-disabled people helping bridge social divides. We could not do this without the generosity of the Axis Foundation” –  Terry Moseley, Founder, BDAA

Junior Schools Fishing Project

Our 2020 donation of £3,320 helped BDAA develop their BDAA Junior Schools Fishing Project This is the first scheme of its kind in the UK and will help hundreds of disabled children and young people benefit from fishing.

“The Junior School’s disability project has been a long-time milestone for the BDAA. Having such great support and generosity from the Axis Foundation has made this ambition a reality. Hundreds of children, teachers and families have benefited directly from this pilot project and we hope they will continue enjoying fishing in adult life. The funding has provided essential training for teachers and volunteers, as well as clothing, adaptive fishing equipment, transport costs and independence for the students. They now have an additional skill they never knew they could achieve through fishing” – BDAA founder Terry Moseley

More about BDAA

BDAA offers fishing opportunities for disabled children, young people and adults across the Midlands. Angling helps improve the health and wellbeing of many disabled people. The sport encourages access to outdoor activities and, most importantly, offers the chance to socialise with others in the local community. Angling can change the lives of disabled people. BDAA offers inclusive fishing opportunities to disabled people of all ages and disability. And the charity provides adapted equipment, disabled platforms and access, services, information, support and practical advice on all issues encompassing angling.

 “I love to be outside. I can now hold a rod all by myself and have also learned how to be a good fisherman. I like to go fishing with my friends, and I think I will be a really good fisherman when I’m bigger” – Harry Bowen, Penn Hall School fishing club

There’s more about BDAA here.

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young boy on dry ski slope TAG adaptive snow sportsDisability

TAG

April 8, 2021By

Two donations support young people with disability.

The Axis Foundation has made two donations to TAG Youth Club to support their work empowering and optimising the potential of young people with disability.

Our donation of £4789 helped TAG Youth Club purchase a Mountain Man Sit Ski, a transfer sling and a vacuum cushion for postural support for wheelchair users. Fully-qualified adapted skiing and snowboarding instructors from Disability Snowsports UK deliver snowsports lessons for TAG.

‘Thank you so much to everyone at Axis and to those involved in the Axis Foundation for the kind gift. This has enabled us to purchase the bi ski and postural supports which means that no one will be excluded from taking part in this exciting sport. Skiing does more than just provide the benefits of being more active: it also supports people with their mental health and social skills and increases sensory stimulation”  – Giles Hobart, Lead Youth Worker, TAG

“My son doesn’t excel at sports and has struggled taking part in physical activities due to his disabilities. He loves the sensory feeling of speed and the wind on his face, so giving him the opportunity to sit ski will help change his outlook in life by providing him with a sport that captures his personality” – a TAG parent

Previous donation

Our earlier donation of £5,000 helped purchase a Magic Mirror sensory system for TAG. The Magic Mirror is the only interactive projection system that allows users of different ages and abilities to play and learn together. It supports national curriculum SEN learning responding to the slightest movement, supporting multiple access methods such as gesture, eye gaze, mouse and touch, and projects a variable image catering for wheelchair accessibility.

“A massive thank you to the Axis Foundation. This grant is enabling us to purchase a 3D motion censored sensory system which allows young people with disabilities to play interactive games” – Giles Hobart, Lead Youth Worker

More about Tag

TAG Youth Club in Richmond provides a safe, accessible, well-equipped and stimulating environment where young people (8-25 years) with disability can meet up with friends and enjoy social developmental and enjoyable activities including arts, drama, music and sport.  TAG’s Youth workers help the young people with disabilities here develop their self awareness and self esteem as and learn social and life skills too. This vital work takes place in their centre in Richmond and in the wider community locally.

Read more about TAG here

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Gardening for people with disabilityDisability

FarmAbility

April 8, 2021By

Transporting people with disabilities to beneficial farm-based tasks and outdoor activities

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £7,000 to FarmAbility will provide minibus, taxi or car transport for a year to ensure co-farmers (people with learning disabilities, many also with autism) can get to FarmAbility’s outreach partner farms, landed estates or gardens in a COVID-safe way.

Here co-farmers, many of whom are who are almost entirely excluded from workplaces and from employment, will engage in an outdoor, purposeful day sessions focusing on their needs and ability levels.

 “We know from our eight years’ experience that a regular weekly outdoor, active session involving practical, farm-based tasks has a lasting, positive impact on the mental and physical health of people with disabilities. So, a HUGE thank you to the Axis Foundation for the donation: it means a great amount to us – particularly during these challenging times. Working day-to-day with co-farmers and the team I know that being able to support the transport needs of co-farmers and staff will have a positive effect on our programme” – Jason Warner, Programme Manager, FarmAbility

More about FarmAbility

FarmAbility enables co-farmers (people with learning disabilities, many also with autism) to develop skills and competencies for purposeful living through participation in programmes on farms, estates and growing spaces. FarmAbility is based in Oxfordshire and runs programmes primarily from the Blenheim Estate in Woodstock and on a number of ‘outreach’ partner farms and growing spaces around the county. These include: FAI Farms (Wytham), Fair Close Community Farm (Wolvercote), FarmEd (Shipton-u-Wychwood) and Harcourt Arboretum.

FarmAbility’s programme is run by experienced, committed Programme Leaders who work with small groups of co-farmers with an approach that focuses more on ‘enabling’ than ‘supporting’ and which is informed by occupational therapy. They offer co-farmers a changing seasonal schedule of farm and gardening activities, guided by personal choice and individual needs, which includes activities such as vegetable gardening and orchard management, an organic egg enterprise, woodworking, basic animal husbandry, woodland work (coppicing, tree planting) and seasonal farm tasks.

More here 

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Fatory of Freedom Power ChairsDisability

Freedom Power Chairs

April 8, 2021By

We fund bespoke power wheelchair for cerebral palsy sufferer

‘H’ is a 65-year-old man who is severely disabled through cerebral palsy. The Axis Foundation’s donation of £1,750 to Freedom Power Chairs will help the charity design and adapt a power chair to H’s near foetal position posture, with a joystick adapted for use by his foot. The chair will feature the supportive and contoured seating ‘H’ requires along with adapted footrests and controls.

With his new chair H can enjoy activities independently. The new power chair will also greatly help his carers who have to lift him from his bed to his chair.

“The Trustees of Freedom Powerchairs are most grateful to have received financial support from the Axis Foundation to enable us to provide a much-needed special powerchair for a client “H” with Cerebral Palsy. It now gives him the freedom to travel; to shop, meet friends, take his companion dog for a walk, and to get on buses to visit other charities where he is himself a volunteer” – Martin Osment, Founder and Trustee, Freedom Power Chairs

More about Freedom Power Chairs

Martin Osment, Freedom Power Chairs Founder and Trustee, is an experienced engineer. As a disabled person, his own lived experience showed that ‘off the peg’ wheelchair solutions were often not adequate, particularly for people with complex mobility issues. So, he used his skills and experience to design a powerchair which met his individual needs. From here he founded Freedom Power Chairs.

At the Sussex-based charity’s workshop, Freedom Power Chairs design produce and supply individually-tailored power wheelchairs at affordable prices. In addition, they adapt manual chairs, scooters and other mobility aids, provide a repair and maintenance service and modify existing chairs to meet the needs of individual clients. Their Community Support Mobile Workshop helps the wider community. They also provide a rental service. By using their recovered, refurbished and adapted stock Freedom Power Chairs provide custom built powerchairs at a fraction of the price of a new one. More here

 

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Adapted accessible toilet facilities for Danemead Scouts Camp SiteDisability

Danemead Scout Camp Site

April 1, 2021By

Increasing accessibility to natural beauty spot and educational facilities

Danemead Scout Camp Site encourages young people and the community to enjoy outdoor recreation, providing training in practical life skills as part of their educational programme here. The site welcomes schools, colleges, youth groups, local community organisations. Indeed, over 3000 people stayed on the site in 2019.

And, so that even more people can stay and enjoy this 34-acre ancient, coppiced woodland of unspoilt beauty in Hertfordshire, the Axis Foundation donated £3,000 to Danemead Scout Camp Site to help convert an existing external toilet into a purpose-design disabled toilet and washroom.

“We will always be grateful to Axis Foundation for supporting and helping the funding of the installation of the disabled toilet facility.

“The refurbishment of the toilet room to a disabled facility sits firmly in the social model of disability as it allows the inclusion into the site and facilities of wheelchair users and other disabled persons, by the provision of accessible toilet and washing facilities. We are excited about increasing the use of the camp site for further and additional community organisations”  – Mike Hayward, Camp Site Secretary

More about the refurbishment

The toilet required expanding to provide low level toilet and wash basin. Works also included removing the existing waste and water connection piping and diverting the system and subsequent re-connection and the installation of new fixings, safety rails, alarm system, tiling and new anti-slip floor. In addition, an external ramp was constructed and the existing steel door aperture was widened for wheelchair access.

More about Danemead Scout Camp Site

Danemead Scout Camp Site welcomes schools, colleges, youth groups, local community organisations and is run solely by volunteers. In addition, the Camp Site undertakes environmental conservation work involving the preservation of trees, landscapes, wildlife and their habitats.

There’s more about Danemead Scout Camp Site here

 

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canoes and kayaks on river helping disabled young people enjoy paddlesportsDisability

Basingstoke and Deane Canoe Club

December 17, 2020By

Hoist to help disabled young people get in and out of canoes

Basingstoke and Deane Canoe Club, based on the Basingstoke Canal, provides safe paddlesport activities for disabled young people. Paddlesport activities include recreational kayaking and canoeing.

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £2,000 helps buy them a mobile mechanical hoist. This will help paddlers with physical disabilities (in particular wheelchair users) to get on to the water. They can then take part in kayaking and canoeing activities on the canal.

“We are passionate about being able to provide kayaking and canoeing activities to people who would not otherwise be able to participate in paddlesports. The hoist will assist getting paddlers with impaired mobility in and out of kayaks and canoes” – Janella Mansell, Paddlesport Officer

The hoist will help young disabled people from Trealors College, a local school and college for disabled young people. Students currently have to use a swimming pool because of the height of the banks at the club house, Odiham Wharf, Colt Hill in Odiham, Hampshire.

The benefits of paddlesports include independence and better physical and mental wellbeing.

More about Basingstoke and Deane Canoe Club

Basingstoke and Deane Canoe Club is a charity run by volunteers.  The Club is affiliated to British Canoeing. Their specialist coaches are trained and experienced in kayaking with disabled people. They run courses throughout the year, regular taster sessions over the summer and have regular club nights. And, they reach out to their local community offering bespoke taster sessions to youth groups and other voluntary organisations.

More here 

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helping children with autism, child with headphones in front of screenDisability

Time4Autism

December 9, 2020By

Helping children with autism improve motor and cognitive abilities

Time4Autism is run by parents and volunteers to provide activities for children with autism. These activities, which include yoga, drumming and trampoline, help children develop their motor and cognitive abilities.

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £600 buys a Soundsory headset. This is a multi-sensory programme of music (processed with neuro-acoustic modifications) and movement-based exercises, designed to help children with autism improve their motor and cognitive abilities.

Time4Autism will lend the Soundsory system to families within their local community in Milton Keynes so they can help their children at home. This is especially vital when face to face sessions are impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Thank you for the generous gift to Time4Autism! We are so happy to have your support. Through your donation, we can continue working towards supporting children with Autism. Your donation is going toward providing headsets for children with sound sensitivities and sensory problems. You have helped us to lend the system to families, so they can help their children at home. This is especially vital when face-to-face sessions are impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. Thank you again!” – Jabeen Salam, Treasurer

More about Time4Autism

The charity helps parents and carers to understand their child’s sensory needs and behaviours and supports them in dealing with challenging behaviours.

The Soundsory programme which we have donated also helps children and adults with motor delays, balance and coordination issues, sensory and auditory processing disorders, ADD and ADHD as well as whose on the autism spectrum and with developmental issues.

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Young disadvantaged children sailingCare

The Ahoy Centre

November 6, 2020By

Supporting vulnerable children

The Axis Foundation donated £3,750 to The AHOY Centre’s Time2Talk programme. Time2Talk provides 1-2-1 emotional and psychological support for vulnerable children. Many children at AHOY come from chaotic home-lives, with little guidance. And these Time2Talk 1-2-1 sessions improve teamwork, self-esteem and leaderships skills.

“On behalf of everyone at AHOY, thank you for believing in our work and helping us to continue to have a real positive impact on people’s lives.

“We have now added our mentoring Time2Talk services to all our main programmes. We will continue to embed this vital piece of support into all additional programmes.

“During the period of your grant, The Time2Talk programme was led by AHOY’s Lead Mentor and qualified Psychologist who worked with a team of qualified mentors. The mentors were also instructors on the activity programme.

“They provided emotional and psychological support to our vulnerable children whilst delivering “on the job” mentoring. And they could recognise any behavioural changes and react appropriately during sessions to support them”  – Danny O’Sullivan, Fundraising Manager

More about Ahoy

The AHOY Centre is based in Deptford, one of London’s most deprived areas. The charity enables disadvantaged and disabled young people to take part in water-based activities and train in life skills.

And there’s more about  AHOY here!

Lockdown update

During Lockdown, AHOY’s virtual hub provided online cooking, nautical theory, drama and fitness sessions for members. And AHOY also cooked and delivered over 1,600 hot meals for vulnerable families. Plus, they provided Covid Capsule activity packs to keep members progressing and engaged.

“As parents of an adult with autism and a learning disability, Lockdown was extremely difficult for us as a family. We were very concerned about T’s mental health. All his activities stopped and his normal routines ended. So we were immensely grateful to AHOY for keeping in touch with the Sailability students and for all the effort that went into reopening the centre” – AHOY parent

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black pony standing in treesDisability

Barrow Farm

September 3, 2020By

Our pony provides riding for adults and children with disabilities

Barrow Farm offers subsidised riding, including to those with limited means, bringing fitness, fulfilment, friendship and fun to adults and children with disabilities.

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £5,500 went towards purchasing a handsome new pony, Murphy, who can offer riding and driving experiences to at least five more people every week. A further donation in 2023 of £1,200 bought Murphy a new saddle!

Dr Karen Lehner, Vice Chairman of the Trustees, said: “We are truly indebted to the Axis Foundation enabling us to help more disabled children and adults. Murphy is a real people-loving horse and likes nothing better than to be petted for as long as you can stand there!”

More about Barrow Farm

Every week 130 riders and 11 carriage drivers with a range of difficulties enjoy the riding at this specialist centre in Essex where 13 horses and ponies, along with four paid coaches and over 80 volunteers offer support in a safe environment.

The father of one driver described his daughter’s riding session as  “the highlight of her week” while his daughter added: “ I am constantly striving to improve. It’s something new that I haven’t done before; I learn something new every time. Having a hobby outside of my work life distracts me from work and helps with stress.”

Barrow Farm loves welcoming new visitors  – find out more here – and when you drop in, do say hello to Murphy!

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