disadvantaged

The Nest

December 16, 2025By

Sweeter sleep for families facing severe financial hardship

The Nest supports families with young children who are facing severe financial hardship. Their aim is simple: to ensure every child has the best possible start in life and that no baby sleeps without safe, suitable essentials.

The Axis Foundation has donated £3,000 to The Nest to purchase 30 cot mattresses, 35 cot-bed mattresses and 35 Moses basket mattresses.

“Wow, thank you so very much. We are so grateful for this incredibly generous support. As a small charity it is extremely hard to secure funding, and this donation will make a life-changing difference to the families we help. Thanks to the Axis Foundation, we can ensure babies across our community have a safe and healthy place to sleep including baby who is currently sleeping on a pillow which is less than ideal safety wise” – Victoria Blythe, CEO

The new mattresses will have a powerful impact on families across Bath and North East Somerset. They will give up to 100 babies and young children a safe, hygienic and supportive place to sleep—reducing the risk of SIDS, preventing exposure to mould or bedbugs, and improving posture and comfort. Better sleep will also benefit parents and siblings who are often sharing beds or sleeping on floors due to lack of resources.

For more information visit The Nest’s website

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Care

Bromley Brighter Beginnings

December 16, 2025By

Sweeter, safer sleep for children – a bed for every child

Bromley Brighter Beginnings supports families across the London Borough of Bromley, providing essential items to reduce child poverty and ensure children have a safe, dignified start in life.

The Axis Foundation has donated £15,000 to Bromley Brighter Beginnings for its Bed For Every Child Project. The donation will fund new beds, mattresses and essential bedding, including pillows, duvets and mattress protectors, all delivered and professionally assembled in family homes across Bromley.

The funding will provide safe beds for 30 children, improving sleep, wellbeing and educational outcomes, while positively benefiting entire families across the borough.

“Thank you ever so much for this incredible support. We were absolutely delighted to receive the news, and Bromley Brighter Beginnings is hugely grateful to the Axis Foundation for this level of funding. It will have a profound impact on our Bed For Every Child project and the families we support. This funding means children will have a safe, comfortable place to sleep, restoring dignity, improving wellbeing and giving families much-needed peace of mind” – Rhian Arrenberg, Grants and Fundraising Lead

For more information, visit Bromley Brighter Beginnings’ website here

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disadvantaged

Extra Mile

December 16, 2025By

Safe sleep and vital baby transport

Extra Mile is a volunteer-led charity based in Hampton, supporting vulnerable families across Richmond, Hounslow and neighbouring boroughs with essential baby and child equipment.

The Axis Foundation has donated £4,000 to Extra Mile to purchase 15 cots with mattresses, 15 prams and 10 double buggies to provide safe sleeping spaces and vital transport equipment, enabling families to care for young children with dignity, safety and independence. Our donation will directly benefit 50 children, reducing family stress, improving wellbeing and helping children get a safer, healthier start in life.

“Thank you so much. This support has come at the perfect time as we celebrate 10 years of The Extra Mile. It will mean so much to many struggling families, and we are incredibly grateful. This funding will make a real and immediate difference to parents who simply cannot afford these essential items” – Liz Windaybank, Volunteer

“Being able to use The Extra Mile for the families we support is often a real lifeline. Knowing help is available brings huge relief. One family who had fled domestic abuse said, ‘It’s been like Christmas has come early for us’” –  Family Centre Outreach Worker

“We cannot thank The Extra Mile enough. Families supplied with cots and pushchairs feel enormous relief. Pushchairs also help reduce isolation. The Extra Mile responds quickly and with compassion. One mother told us, ‘I don’t have words to thank you'” – Family Centre and Home-Start

For more information, visit Extra Mile website here

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Donations

Urban Forest Tribe (UFT)

September 23, 2025By

Making nature accessible for SEND children

Urban Forest Tribe (UFT)’s mission is to make outdoor learning and nature connection accessible to all, regardless of background or ability – nurturing individuals and strengthening families and communities.
Firmly rooted in Forest School philosophy, and based in north London, they have a particular focus on those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The Trustees of the Axis Foundation were delighted to support their application with a donation of £3,500 to meet the costs of the sensory and interactive features for their scheme at Bridge School. This scheme will rewild and enhance a green space here, introducing a wide range of accessible, features specifically designed for SEND children.
“We’re over the moon to hear that we’ve been awarded a grant of £3,500 to support the sensory features at The Bridge School site. This funding will make a real difference in helping us create a more inclusive and nurturing outdoor space for the children we work with” – Paula Harvey Founder and Executive Director
There is more about Urban Forest Tribe here
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Community

Manchester Urban Diggers

July 2, 2025By

Creating places for people to grow, cook and eat food together

Manchester Urban Diggers produces over 1 tonne of food annually at their main site: Platt Fields Market Garden. Here local people develop a wide range of horticulture skills, connect with others, increase their physical activity, share food, learn about sustainable food growing and get involved in developing ideas and projects.

The Trustees of the Axis Foundation were delighted to award Manchester Urban Diggers a grant of £7,000 to build an integrated water harvesting and automatic irrigation system.

This will help them reduce environmental impact, costs and labour, improve the experience of beneficiaries and staff, and model best-practice of low-input, sustainable agroecological food growing methods.

“We are absolutely thrilled and thankful to receive the generous donation from the Axis Foundation. We’ve started ordering and receiving the irrigation system and will be installing it as soon as we can – the recent weather shows you just how important this technology is going to be this year and the years ahead. We spend hundreds of hours a year keeping our plants alive and this system will dramatically reduce this – meaning we can produce more food and deliver more free community services/events” – Sam Payne, Director

More about Manchester Urban Diggers

Through growing, cooking and eating food, Manchester Urban Diggers improves the environment and personal wellbeing, and strengthens local communities.

Platt Fields Market Garden is also the home of MUD Kitchen where they operate a café to generate an income to help run the garden. MUD Kitchen also operates its own catering service which is open 7 days a week running seasonal fresh food around the city.

More here

 

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Community

Burnside Centre

July 2, 2025By

Creating a Forest School in built-up estate

Burnside Centre supports the community and people of Langley Estate in Middleton, Manchester, a high-ranking area of deprivation in a built-up area with few green spaces.

The Axis Foundation and the Riverside Foundation were delighted to support their application to create a Forest School here, transforming disused green space behind the community hub into a safe, inclusive, and sustainable outdoor learning environment for children, young people, and families.

Burnside Centre’s aspiration to introduce the Forest School was made possible through £19,000 investment from the Riverside Foundation, £9,700 donation from the Axis Foundation and additional support from the Asda Foundation and the Manchester School of Architecture – bringing the total project value to around £41,000.

The funding will enable the installation of features designed to encourage exploration and ensure accessibility, including:

  • A storytelling area with fixed seating and a firepit
  • Interactive wooden structures and outdoor learning zones
  • SEND-friendly resources
  • A nature-inspired mural, new planting, and secure fencing
  • Safety upgrades including new CCTV and anti-climb perimeter fencing

“The Trustees of the Axis Foundation were delighted to join forces with the Riverside Foundation to support Burnside Centre’s vision: to introduce a Forest School at their community hub. Both Axis Europe and The Riverside Group are already partners, working together to maintain properties and homes, and it seemed to us highly appropriate that our foundations join forces in supporting this valuable local enterprise to provide a lasting legacy of learning that will benefit the local community” – Michael Hayes, Trustee, the Axis Foundation

Hazel Waddington, Chair of Riverside Foundation, said: “We’re proud to support a project that will have such a lasting impact on the Langley community. The Forest School will provide a much-needed green space that offers hands-on experiences that inspire creativity and learning. It will foster confidence and connection with nature for generations to come.”

Kerry Edwards, Burnside Centre Manager, added:  “We’re a grass roots charity – committed to quality and people-focused engagement! Our community Forest School vision could not flourish and become reality without the fantastic support of the Riverside Foundation,the Axis Foundation and the other incredible supporters. To be able to bring this green space to life for local children and families is a dream come true. It has been truly transformational to have your support – empowering our community-based learning journey.”

More about Burnside Centre

Forest Schools offer hands-on learning in natural environments. They aim to foster confidence, self-esteem, and independence through engaging with nature. Burnside has invested in frontline staff training and formal Forest School accreditations. And their new Forest School at the Langley Estate will provide opportunities for local people and the wider community to benefit from volunteering, gaining new skills; and actively engaging with nature and all its wonders.

Open 50-weeks of the year, Burnside Centre offers workshops, learning, growth, support and development opportunities in a deprived area.They deliver their services under three themes: crisis, proactive and progressive:

  • Crisis supports low income and vulnerable families and includes Food Bank vouchers, emergency food parcels & personal care supplies
  • Proactive support vulnerable people and unemployed people  and through Early Years provision, health and well-being sessions, learning courses and family support
  • Progressive offers large scale ambitious projects to uplift the wider community

More here

 

 

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Community

Creating a real home for Amy

July 2, 2025By

“Shell” house transformed into a safe and comfortable home

Axis’ Customer Experience Manager Joe Marshall made an application to the Axis Foundation on behalf of Amy McGinty as a result of our Ears and Eyes campaign, inviting employees to put forward suggestions/applications for the Trustees’ consideration.

Joe had seen a plea from Amy on Facebook for a sofa. He says: “As luck would have it, I had two sofas sitting in the garage, so I reached out to offer one of them. I hired a van and delivered it to her home, for free.”

Amy had just moved into a Community Housing home – and, when he dropped off the sofa, Joe found that it was a shell: bare walls, no white goods and no carpets. Amy was cooking for her two small children using only a microwave.

“As a parent myself, I was deeply moved by her situation. Despite everything, she’s staying strong and doing her best for her children, who are both happy and healthy, thankfully. But the thought of them living in those conditions, is tearing at my heart,” Joe told our Trustees.

And our Trustees were delighted to help support Joe’s application. The Foundation funded new flooring and a new bed. And our Axis apprentices painted and decorated Amy’s flat too.

Amy said: My experience with Axis has been amazing! Joe and The Axis Foundation have made such a huge difference to my family life and how I feel about my new home.”

Amy explained that before receiving help from the Axis Foundation, she was unsure how she would afford or manage the necessary decorating for her “forever home.” Having recently moved from temporary accommodation, her new place needed a lot of work.

“The Axis Foundation made this happen, and I’m so pleased with the outcome. My new home now truly feels like home – it’s absolutely amazing, compared to a few months ago. My children and I are so happy now!”

“The team involved was amazing; they were so thorough and just did a great job overall. I want to say a huge thank you to Joe for making this happen. Without his involvement, I’d still be living in a shell! And of course, to the Axis Foundation for all their help and support. Without them, my house wouldn’t be a home, and I’m loving being here now. More importantly, my children love it too!”

Joe Marshall said: Having been a part of Axis for the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the profound impact of the Axis Foundation’s initiatives within local communities. The Foundation not only extended crucial support for Amy’s cause, but also meticulously coordinated inspections and the subsequent restorative work, transforming Amy’s previously dilapidated residence into a comfortable and secure home for her and her children. It is genuinely a source of immense pride and satisfaction to be associated with an organisation that demonstrates such genuine commitment to the well-being of its local communities.”

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disadvantaged

Offshoot Foundation

March 12, 2025By

Film making helps young people develop life skills

The Offshoot Foundation uses film making to help disadvantaged young people develop life skills, raise their aspirations and reach their full potential. The young people they work with are often facing multiple barriers including poor mental health, additional needs including autism and ADHD, school refusal, caring responsibilities and living in areas of high deprivation.

The Axis Foundation was delighted to support Offshoot with an award of £5,396 to enable them to purchase 4 iMacs. These provide an all-in-one computer with screen which is perfect for young people to use for their film making. Purchasing them means that more young people can reap the benefits that Offshoot provides.

“Thank you all for your wonderful donation to our charity. These iMacs will be able to help the many children we work with across East Anglia and London and, with our charity becoming bigger and more successful each year, it will mean they will be able to be used by even more young people as we grow.

“When I took these new iMacs to the Newmarket workshop and explained how we got them, the students could not believe that an organisation would do that for them, You could really see them feel that someone believes in them to make such a generous gesture and many of them  said thank you. They were in awe of the gesture.

“I look forward to sharing the Macs across our three Christmas workshops and spreading the news about Axis Generosity.  Thank you from Offshoot and all its young people” – Paul Press, CEO

Here’s what one young film-maker said about their experience at Offshoot:

“It really helped improve my confidence and possibly give me some ideas for future interests such as jobs, college, GCSE choices. It really developed my social skills, and I made new friends.”

More here

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Donations

Hackney School of Food

March 12, 2025By

Nutrition and food growing education supports community and wellbeing and combats food poverty

Hackney School of Food is an award-winning food education hub equipping children, families and the community with the knowledge and skills to cook and grow nutritious food, improving health and well-being and combating food poverty.

The Trustees of the Axis Foundation were delighted to support them with a donation of £1,200 to purchase kitchen equipment including a fridge, dishwasher, cutlery and plates for their new Garden Room where they’ll deliver food and food-growing education to children, families and vulnerable people in their local area. The new space will also be a hub for community events and meals, helping to bring together the local community around delicious, healthy meals.

“Your donation will help us continue to empower our community by building lifelong cooking and food growing skills to combat food poverty and foster a healthier future. The new Garden Room we are opening in March will be a unique place for children in Hackney, and this support is helping us to build happier, healthier lives. Thank you” – Zoe McIntyre, General Manager

More about Hackney School of Food

In 2023-2024, Hackney School of Food welcomed 7,097 visits to its teaching kitchen and gardens, partnering with 58 schools and 20 community groups.
Hackney School of Food delivers a range of activities including curriculum-linked cooking classes for schools, afterschool and holiday provision, community adult classes and events.
They have won many prestigious awards including Civic Trust National Award 2021, Hackney Design Award for Inclusivity in Design 2021 and RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize 2022 for their innovation and contribution to the community.

There’s more here

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disadvantaged

Edge Ministries

March 12, 2025By

Assisting ‘forgotten people’ in recovery from addiction

The Edge Ministries has four centres helping ‘forgotten people’ in the most deprived across North East Derbyshire.

The Trustees of the Axis Foundation were delighted to donate £3,370 to the charity. The donation will purchase a polytunnel and gardening tools plus seeds, plants and compost for Edge Ministries’ Community Wellbeing Garden at Staveley.

As a result of our donation, over 75 people will benefit from the Wellbeing Garden which encourages gentle outside exercise, improves mental wellbeing and reduces isolation.

The Wellbeing Garden, which supports people who are struggling with their wellbeing and those in recovery from addiction, is open 24/7 365. Volunteers and a qualified gardener manage the garden.

“This funding will make a huge difference in our ability to support people in recovery year round, by offering meaningful wellbeing activities in a friendly, safe and fun environment.  Thank you so much for the support of the Axis Foundation!” – Steve Martin, Chief Operations Manager

More about Edge Ministries

The Edge Ministries provides a friendly welcome, access to free food and to professional free social welfare advice as well as a range of social inclusion activities designed to improve physical and mental wellbeing, and an Open Living Room.

Their mission is to be a place of welcome for all, and to work with people to make a change in their lives, helping themselves out of their current situation into a better future.

There’s more here 

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