Smiling members of the Arts For All groupDisability

Arts For All

August 2, 2018By

Vulnerable adults benefit from arts learning holiday

Arts for All helps vulnerable adults with learning disabilities. At the Shoreditch-based charity, friendship and acceptance replace isolation and low self-esteem.

Our donation of £5,000 (2018) funded a holiday to Devon. On the holiday, teachers delivered arts and crafts sessions. Members all took every opportunity for activity (swimming, go-karting, golf, badminton, Bollywood dancing, archery, snooker) discarding their sedentary lives with enthusiasm. They all brought home a new skill or hobby once the holiday was over – the best memento!

 “Each person felt they had learned new things that they never thought that they could do. They have come back to London armed with expertise and walking taller. They all know that they did really well and it has made them really feel that they have something positive to offer. All in all this was the most amazing, brilliant adventure. They grew in confidence, learned new creative techniques to bring back to the group in London and they were active all week… Above all the most important thing to me is how HAPPY they all were. They stepped away from their often difficult, isolated and mundane lives into a holiday of friends, fun and a lot of laughter!!

“We are so grateful for this funding from The Axis Foundation who have made this holiday possible. Once again, thank you so much” – Caroline Barlow, Manager and Founder

Volunteer Support

Molly Swan, Axis Administrator, used her volunteering day to get creative with Arts for All.

Molly helped out with one of the kid’s clubs. These sessions are relaxed classes and range from painting all the way to 3D modelling.

Molly said “I loved the session! It was so lovely, they do such an amazing job.”

Caroline added: “Having the support of volunteers from Axis Europe makes a massive difference to us. Their enthusiasm and energy is infectious and everyone enjoys spending time with them!”

There’s more about Arts for All here

 

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Two Children supported by Newlife, with portable hoistDisability

Newlife Foundation

July 30, 2018By

Improving quality of life for two children by purchasing specialist equipment

Newlife Foundation is the UK’s largest charity provider of specialist equipment for children with disabilities and terminal illnesses. In their care areOlivia and Ryan who, at the time of our donation, were both around eight years old.

Olivia has a genetic disorder that affects the nervous system. So, the Foundation donated £2,899 to Newlife towards a specialist bed that will improve her quality of life and provide relief for both herself and her family.

Ryan’s disability means he has to be hoisted in and out of his wheelchair whenever he needs to use the bathroom, have a wash or go to bed. There is a ceiling track hoist in his home but Ryan’s family were very limited to where they could take him. So, the Axis Foundation donated £1,020 to Newlife towards a portable hoist for Ryan, meaning that they can take him to exciting new places for longer periods.

“We would like to say a huge thank you to the Axis Foundation for their support of Newlife and our family – this will make a big difference. Having a portable hoist that we can put in the boot of the car and take with us wherever we want to go will make a huge difference to Ryan’s life. There are endless possibilities. Ryan has never been able to play in a paddling pool in the garden but this summer he will be able to enjoy this simple pleasure. We will be able to be more adventurous about where we go for days out with Ryan and even consider a family holiday” – Ryan’s Mum, Victoria

 

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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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Transporting children with disabilities in donated carDisability

Lifelong Family Links

April 12, 2018By

Giving transport for children with disabilities

Lifelong Family Links provides short breaks and stimulating outings for children and young people with medium to severe disabilities. These include Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Special Educational Needs and a range of physical and sensory disabilities. They give lifts to 560 young people, enabling them to lead fuller and more stimulating lives.

Our donation of £3,000 helped to purchase a new car for the charity. The car is wheelchair accessible and will transport the young people to social activities, family outings, swim clubs and more.

“It’s not fair that these children are socially disadvantaged without access to the same leisure or transport experiences as other young people. We hope that this donation will provide enjoyable experiences for the children in a safe and comfortable environment with professional carers” – Joe Ibrahim, Axis Foundation Trustee

Our Previous Support

In 2012, the Foundation donated £2,500 to Lifelong Family Links’  summer activity programme. The grant covered the cost of mini-bus transport, carer support and sporting activities including swimming, wall-climbing, football and horse riding. These activities are otherwise inaccessible to the children and their families due to the extra support they require.

“The LFL is extremely grateful for the Axis Foundation’s support. Without funding, the Summer playscheme for these disabled children simply couldn’t happen. Then these young people, especially those with severe autism and severe disabilities, would most likely be sitting at home for the duration of the summer holidays because it is a struggle for their parents to take them out” – Lambeth Family Link’s Marva Trenton.

More About Lifelong Family Links

Lifelong Family Links was initially set up in 1982 to support children with disabilities and their parents in the Lambeth area. They now run afterschool clubs, holiday play schemes, a befriending service, an allotment gardening project and a Saturday club for over 200 disabled children/young people.

 

 

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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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Children enjoy physiotherapy swimming lesson at Waterwings swimming club.Donations

Waterwings

April 12, 2018By

Swimming classes for children with disability

Waterwings is a fully accessible swimming club that provides occupational therapy for children with physical and learning disabilities. It also offers hydrotherapy.

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £3,600 will pay for the use of the school pool, a lifeguard cover and a hydrotherapy trained physiotherapist for a year.

“This funding is essential for the running of Waterwings. Without it we would not be able to provide vital, life enhancing therapy and play for these wonderful children. This type of facility is not available anywhere else locally and we thank Axis Foundation so much for helping us to ensure it continues” – Tracy Smith, Fundraiser

More About Waterwings

Waterwings is the only swimming club in St Leonards on Sea that provides fully accessible swimming lessons, occupational therapy and hydrotherapy. Sessions take place at St Mary’s School, Bexhill where the school pool is specifically designed for children with special needs. It has a hoist, changing areas for children with physical disabilities and accessible car parking for carers and parents.

Waterwings’ children have a range of disabilities: Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, heart problems, developmental delay, Downs Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy, learning disabilities or autism. Whilst some children can walk with support and others are wheelchair dependent, they all have difficulty in getting into the water and need assistance or hoisting. Local facilities are in the main unsuitable and, importantly, unsafe, because of overcrowding, lack of hoists and the pools’ temperature.

It is well documented that children with physical disabilities benefit from regular targeted occupational therapy. Hydrotherapy (no longer available through the NHS) helps with bone and muscle development. It also provides relief from muscle spasm and teaches patterns of movement that are vital for posture, sitting, standing and walking.

 

 

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Outdoor and indoor produce growing at OrganicleaCommunity

Organiclea

March 5, 2018By

Accessibility enhancements at community food project

For those with physical disabilities who attend Organiclea in Chingford, gardening is an invaluable physical intervention, developing strength, co-ordination, balance and motor skills.

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £1,000 will increase the community food project’s accessibility for those with disabilities – for example by improving wheelchair access and providing raised beds as accessible outdoor growing areas.

“We were so happy to receive funding from the Axis Foundation, allowing us to improve our facilities for those with special needs, particularly wheelchair users, making gardening more accessible for everyone. I have plans to involve our special needs students in the construction of the raised beds the Axis Foundation have funded, that the same group will then use to grow vegetables, salads and flowers in. Thanks Axis Foundation for helping us with our work!” – Joe Wensley SEN Young People’s Co-ordinator

More About Organiclea

An important community resource, situated in the 12-acre site of Hawkwood Plant Nursery, Organiclea community food project welcomes people from a wide range of backgrounds, ages and abilities. Organiclea currently works with 16 students with special educational needs and regularly works with around 10-15 others with a physical difficulty or disability. Volunteers here benefit from their accredited training offering and Organiclea also works with schools and colleges – including SEN and PRU – housing estates and care homes on projects to do with food growing and the environment.

 

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Attendees to Communicate2U stand together for a picture.Disability

Communicate2U

January 7, 2018By

Training provides improved communication for people with learning disabilities

By advising potential employers and care providers on how best to communicate with people with learning difficulties, Communicate2U helps people with learning disabilities who may face reduced educational and employment opportunities – ultimately, a pathway to poor mental health and poverty. A C2U Communications Expert is person with a learning disability or a vulnerable communicator, who is trained to teach others about communication.

The Axis Foundation’s Donation of £2,000 will go towards purchasing vital equipment including laptops, cameras, a projector and a screen as well as a printer, USB sticks and a mobile phone. This will enable Communicate2U to provide more effective training and as a result, better communication for people with learning disabilities.

“We wanted to say a massive thank you for giving us money to buy equipment. It was great going shopping with so much money and we got the chance to choose what we wanted. With all the equipment, it means we are set up to prepare presentations, use the projector, and screen for use as a teaching aid. We can’t wait to get started. Thank you so much”-  all the students and interns at Communicate 2U

More About Communicate2U

At Communicate 2U there are teams of Occupational Therapy (OT) staff and Communication Experts (a person with a learning disability or other vulnerable communicator, trained to teach others about communication). They have three clear aims:

  • To empower staff in health, social care, education and business with the skills and confidence to communicate with vulnerable people
  • To change the attitudes of employers towards employing a person with additional needs
  • To provide pathways for vulnerable people into paid employment

Communicate2U has recently audited written and non-verbal communication at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and advised on designing a sensory-friendly mental health drop-in centre.

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Smiling residents of Bentilee VolunteersCommunity

Bentilee Volunteers

October 12, 2017By

Social club for adults with learning disabilities

Bentilee Volunteers is a charity which provides social activities and volunteering to children, the elderly and disadvantaged people within the local community.

£2,500 from the Axis Foundation will go towards their Rainbow Club, a social club for adults with learning disabilities, which provides a safe social haven for members to make new friends and take part in creative and interactive activities like drama, music, crafts and dancing, as well as parties and games. In addition, their theatre trips and excursions take members to exciting and stimulating places.

“Bentilee Volunteers were thrilled to receive a donation from the Axis Foundation. The funding will help our Rainbow Project to continue and grow, supporting the good work of our committed staff and volunteers. Above all, it will ensure that this much needed club remains available to local vulnerable people” – Gill McGovern, Funding Development Worker

More About Bentilee Volunteers

Bentilee Volunteers consult with the residents of Bentilee, encouraging them to identify and address the needs of their local area. As a result, they have set up a range of initiatives, helping to raise the quality of life for vulnerable people within the community.  Projects include:

  • The Furniture Shed and Charity Shop (donations and re-sales
  • Youthlink (a club for young people between the ages of 11 and 19)
  • Senior Clubs (luncheon clubs with transport, activities and outings for older members of the community)
  • The Community IT Suite (offering computer training and assistance into employment, training and volunteering opportunities)

 

 

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Group of gardeners at HeadwayCommunity

Headway SELNWK

September 12, 2017By

Helping people with brain injuries

The Axis Foundation donated £350 to Headway SELNWK ,a charitable organisation providing support and services to individuals, family members and carers affected by an acquired brain injury.

To support the therapeutic gardening programme, our donation bought a polytunnel, seeds, compost and garden tools so that members can grow their own fruit and vegetables and also create an outdoor space.

“Being out in the fresh air and gardening helps people to get more energised and the members are all very keen to show people around. It’s been a lovely contribution; it’s just made everything easier so having that contribution is very much appreciated. Your money is going a long way to Headway’s work helping people with brain injuries” – Andy Hirons, Fundraising and Development Co-ordinator

More about Headway SELNWK

Affiliated to Headway UK the brain injury association, the National charity that works to improve life after brain injury, Headway SELNWK is a charitable organisation providing support and services to individuals, family members and carers affected by an acquired brain injury across Bexley, Greenwich, Lewisham, Lambeth, Southwark, Bromley, Dartford and Gravesend. The organisation offers a person-centred service that understands the complexities and problems that may arise after injury particularly with emotions, cognition, memory, communication and behaviour.

Social rehabilitation centres are based in Greenwich and Deptford and provide a friendly, positive and safe environment for all who attend and their Community Support Programme provides choice and a mix of service provision. Headway SELNWK also works in partnership with Kings College Hospital to provide an Early Intervention Project.

More here

 

 

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