Girl standing in bedroomCare

Room for Justice

April 8, 2021By

We create a safe, warm space for a friend in need – a Room for Justice!

Clare Payne, Resident Liaison Officer at Axis, wrote to the Axis Foundation to ask for help on behalf of her friend Justice.

 “Justice is the sole carer for her nan, grandad and her mother who is blind. She is the kindest person who never complains about anything. She always puts everyone else first and I have never known her to ask for anything.”

“Justice can only work part time as she needs to be on hand for simple tasks, such as placing toothpaste on the toothbrush, cooking dinner, or picking up dropped items from the floor. Justice will never be able to go on holiday without her mother, never has a day off and will likely not be able to afford to move into her own property due to financial restraints of working only part time. As she is currently being furloughed , money is even tighter than it ever has been.”

Clare asked if the Foundation could help improve Justice’s bedroom, to make it a place where her friend could relax, away from the stresses of her everyday life. And the Foundation was glad to help both Clare and Justice. For the threadbare neglected bedroom we purchased a brand-new bed, bedding, curtains, poles and carpet. And Axis’ own people, including our Apprentices, decorated Justice’s room and improved the lighting too.

“The transformation has been incredible. Justice is so grateful for the help and support of everyone. I am truly grateful to the Foundation for reminding Justice that good things happen to good people and that her hard work every single day does not go unnoticed.

“That was the message I was trying to give her, and we have certainly achieved that,” says Clare.

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disadvantaged

Ambition Aspire Achieve: Newham Christmas Toy Appeal

December 18, 2020By

Helping Newham children and families in poverty at Christmas

Ambition Aspire Achieve is a Newham-based charity supporting disadvantaged, vulnerable and at-risk local children and families all year round.

The Axis Foundation has made three donations to Ambition Aspire Achieve’s (AAA) Newham Christmas Toy Appeal.

In both 2020 and 2023 we supported AAA with donations of £1,000. And in 2024 we added £2,000 to support this local friend. Our donations to AAA’s Newham Christmas Toy Appeal bought gifts to help fill the Christmas stockings of 3,000 children living in poverty in Newham as well as hampers for 100 families.

As the Axis Foundation’s parent company’s HQ is a nearby neighbour in Stratford, we are even more delighted to assist AAA. We have backed up our financial donations with volunteering support, delivering Christmas trees in our Axis vans, and picking out gifts for their Christmas Toy Appeal so that each local child referred to AAA can experience a real Christmas day.

2024

“We are hugely grateful to the Axis Foundation for providing kind and generous support to our annual Christmas toy appeal once again. This year we are expecting nearly 3,000 vulnerable children to be referred to the appeal, with so many families in Newham now experiencing rising poverty and hardship this year. Supporting the appeal will make a tremendous difference to the children referred at a time when the devastating effects of poverty are amplified during the season of giving. Thank you once again!” – Johny Boux, Chief Executive

2023

“That’s really great news – the donation will go directly towards purchasing much-needed toys for the appeal this year” – Johny Boux, Chief Executive

2020

2020 was a difficult and challenging year for everyone because of COVID-19. And, for those living in poverty, based in temporary accommodation, who may have behavioural difficulties and be the victims of abuse, Christmas might have been just another miserable day. For some children there would be no family lunch round the table with crackers. No gifts. Not even a stocking.

Kevin Jenkins, OBE, Co-Ordinator of the Newham Christmas Toy Appeal, said: “Thank you for making this difference for our area’s most disadvantaged, vulnerable and at-risk children, especially in this the most difficult and challenging of all years.

“As all the available evidence confirms, it is the poorest families already in need who have suffered the most, and many other families, through no fault of their own, have been pushed into poverty as a result of the hardship and loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The appeal provided: 2,891 children with a Christmas stocking for Christmas morning – helping more children than ever before; 100 families (approx 300 children) with a seasonal food hamper. With my sincere thanks, 2,891 times over.”

What the parents variously said to AAA:

“I need a card that gives you a big hug to show my gratitude for the lovely presents for the children. I have not worked for a while and worried as I don’t have money to spend on Christmas gifts and then the surprise made a huge difference!”

“I am so grateful to you and your team for all these gifts and the way you have supported my family. I am not working and not getting any benefits. We are spending my savings from my business before I became unwell. I would not have been able to buy anything for my girls but because of you, our Christmas is a happy one”

“I have struggled with my mental health this year and to be honest I don’t think I have thought about Christmas or presents. To receive this I am very grateful and it has made me very emotional that people are still looking out for each other. It has uplifted me”

“A massive thank you for our delivery of food and toys today. The children were so so happy and it cheered us all up after a hard week. My eldest said he was close to tears at how nice it was that someone would do that for us. Thank you so much to you and your team and anyone who donated. It really has helped make our Christmas. I hadn’t been able to get dessert or gravy for our Christmas Dinner because we have been isolating and I’m so pleased that we can now have some of the lovely things in the hamper”

More about AAA here

 

 

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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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Kennet Furniture, man in high vis jacket in store room of furniture and white goodsCommunity

Kennett Furniture Refurbiz

September 8, 2020By

Aid for Families in Crisis

We might take them for granted, but white goods such as cookers, washing machines, and fridges are vital to families in crisis, where abuse and relationship breakdown may be factors, where a single parent is often caring for troubled children. White goods help such families live hygienically and eat healthy, home-cooked food. 

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £2,000 will contribute to Kennett Furniture Refurbiz‘s (KFR) Families in Crisis Project Fund whereby KFR will supply and install – free of charge to qualifying families  – essential large white goods which have been refurbished at their premises in Devizes.

KFR estimates that their Families in Crisis project will help 450+ people per/annum.

“Our charity would like to offer our sincere thanks to the Axis Foundation for the amazing donation towards our Families in Crisis project. Since reopening on the 1st of June, following the easing of  COVID-19 restrictions, our Crisis fund has provided 59 items of white goods to struggling families and individuals free of charge. According to the “Reuse Network’s impact calculator”, the cost of buying these items new, would have totalled nearly £9,000 and in doing so we have generated a 1718kg saving in C02 by refurbishing these items. We not only help families to survive, we also help the planet!”– Daniel Thompson, Operation Manager

More about KFR

Kennett Furniture Refurbiz (KFR) visits over 3,000 homes each year collecting and refurbishing furniture and white goods for re-sale to households with limited income in Wiltshire.

Environment protection 

Each year KFR also prevents over 150 tonnes of items of pre-owned furniture and white goods being sent to landfill by refurbishing them and finding them new homes.

Training and employment 

KFR also offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities and trains volunteers to become accredited white goods repair technicians, meaningful qualifications for employment.

There’s more about them here

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Woman and child reading togetherDonations

Literacy Pirates

September 3, 2020By

Getting on board to support young children with their reading!

Literacy Pirates helps disadvantaged children who are falling behind in their literacy. Our donations to Literacy Pirates which total £16,500 in 2022, support  300 children, helping them with their reading and literacy skills via the volunteer programme, and also improved the premises of the Hackney based charity via Project Shipshape!

“We are very pleased to have Axis Foundation on board as a supporter! The money will go towards the costs of running our volunteer programme which is so integral to the success of our Learning Programme. Thank you once again for your support. It is hugely appreciated by everyone at The Literacy Pirates” – Triona Larkin, Head of Fundraising

In 2021, the Axis Foundation – with City Plumbing Community Fund –  donated £6,500 to Project Shipshape. Project Shipshape transformed the Pirates’ Hackney premises providing a fresh coat of paint covering recent graffiti, a new fascia and a sea-waves mural up their books staircase which has also had new titles added with input from the children, reflecting the diversity of the local area and centring stories from a range of authors and protagonists.

 

“The striking entrance, murals on the walls and the books staircase will all combine to inspire creativity and motivation. Thank you Axis Foundation for continuing to support children’s learning adventures in your local community.” – Triona Larkin, Head of Fundraising

More about Literacy Pirates

Local schools refer children to the Literacy Pirates. Here they attend a year-long after-school learning programme at one of the two fantastical centres, the ‘Ships’, in Hackney or Haringey, both in east London. Trained volunteers give the children extra help with literacy skills and support them with their reading. At the same time they help them complete exciting published projects such as books, films and podcasts.

With the help of the Literacy Pirates, children’s reading age improves over 50% faster than age-related expectations.

In January 2014 the Literacy Pirates opened their dedicated learning centre (the Ship) in Dalston and in January 2019 launched a second Ship in Tottenham, Haringey. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, they built a virtual ship in two weeks, and offered weekly activities during lockdown.

There’s even more here!

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Boxing school young men trainingDonations

Sandwell Asian Development Association

July 1, 2020By

Preventing crime and antisocial behaviour through boxing

Sandwell Asian Development Association (SADA) keeps young people away from anti-social behaviour and crime, promoting community cohesion, wellbeing, self esteem and physical fitness through their inner city boxing scheme.

In 2023, the Axis Foundation donated £1,000 so SADA could purchase new equipment (a Speed Ball platform, Geezers 6ft leather bag, Wing chun dummy, and ten pairs of boxing gloves). Our award helped SADA launch a non-contact boxing programme for young people (14-18 years).

This follows our previous (2020) donation of £1,000 to SADA to purchase a computer and boxing equipment.

“The boxing training has helped me to improve as a person and respect my elders. Thank you” – SADA service user

More About SADA

SADA runs an 8-week inner city boxing course for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Participants live in BME communities in Sandwell MBC and North West Birmingham; a high percentage have learning difficulties and come from disadvantaged and low income backgrounds. They are referred to SADA by the West Midlands Police, youth services and probation services.

West Midlands Police, Sandwell Council and ex-world boxing champion Ritchie Woodhall all support SADA’s inner city boxing scheme.

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Two young boxers holding their trophies after a fightDonations

Runcorn Amateur Boxing Club

December 12, 2019By

Giving disadvantaged youngsters a fighting chance through boxing training

Runcorn Amateur Boxing Club, open for nearly 100 years, is a haven for vulnerable youngsters in Cheshire. The Axis Foundation’s £5,000 donation bought new boxing equipment to improve the gym’s facilities. The new boxing equipment makes the club an even more attractive prospect for disadvantaged individuals.

Runcorn’s Head Coach, Darren, said “I’d like to thank Axis on behalf of everyone at the club, as well as personally. It’s great to find like-minded people with the same goal to improve the mindset of Runcorn’s kids on this issue and to help us help them. Again, thank you.”

More about Runcorn Amateur Boxing Club

Runcorn is in the top 5% of deprived areas nationally, so the boxing club is a place for young adults to engage in meaningful activities, away from negative influences like knife crime. It’s an important part of the community that helps children and young adults thrive, as well as exercise.

Preserving the facilities and maintaining equipment is an important part of keeping Runcorn open. Their fully-licensed community boxing club has over 100 members but is always welcoming newcomers. Their Knife Down Glove Up campaign plays a vital part in educating people about the dangers of knife crime. It will reach their immediate members as well as filter through parents to other families in the wider community.

Volunteer coaches make sure mentoring is aligned to the most vulnerable, helping youngsters develop both physically and mentally. The new gym equipment includes a boxing ring, which adds to the clubs great facilities. Runcorn welcomes children aged seven upwards, providing opportunities that could change lives and a space based on equal opportunities.

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Band Performing at Music therapy charityDisability

Otakar Kraus Music Trust

August 27, 2019By

Music therapy helps children with additional needs

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £8,000 to The Otakar Kraus Music Trust (OKMT) enables seven pupils to attend OK Music School. Here qualified music therapists teach children and young people with physical, learning, mental or neurological disability or illness.

“We are delighted that the Axis Foundation has approved our application to enable seven pupils with disabilities to attend OK Music School for 36 weeks. This will make a huge difference to our music therapy work and allow more children to enjoy the benefits of learning and performing music. Music therapy helps children with disabilities when nothing else can reach them” – Valerie Roy, Fundraising Manager, OKMT

Whilst at the music therapy school, children interact and make friends, reducing isolation. They gain communication skills and become more confident. Improved listening skills and focus help their learning at school. And performing makes them feel happier, proud of their achievements and part of the community. Some children have passed Royal School of Music exams, and some have performed on national radio.

The children say:

  • ‘It makes me feel good about myself – I can do something well!’
  • “I love music because it gives me confidence and it takes me away from the pressures of real life. I make more friends here than anywhere else”

Parents say:

  • “OK Music School has been amazing helping my daughter to gain confidence and improve her memory and listening skills. She is able to verbalise that she is proud of herself.”
  • “E has blossomed, she had very low self-esteem when we started as she was unable to attend school due to her severe anxieties. It has been a Godsend for her mental health.”

OKMT Survey Results

OKMT asked parents what difference OK Music School was making to their child.  The top survey results were:

  • Increased their confidence and self-esteem 100%
  • Improved their concentration and ability to follow instructions 79%
  • Improved their mental well-being  74%
  • Improved their listening skills 68%

Second donation

The Axis Foundation Trustees additionally agreed a grant of £4,800 towards bursaries for 1-1 music therapy for children and young people  and £120 for a new Yamaha Portable Keyboard. Valerie thanked us saying: “We are delighted to get the funding and we will increase our budget for the coming year for bursaries to £6,000. This will help us reach children, young people and families who receive very little regular help.”

OK Music School Case Study

D is 8 and is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He struggles with interacting with people he doesn’t know and with some motor skills. He lacks concentration and has some language and communication difficulties. Therefore it is hard for him to take part in activities where he could enjoy time and space with his peers. D had received speech and language therapy and some music therapy.

But then his mother heard about OKMT through a London Autism group.

D started attending the OKMT Youth Choir, where he was silent for a few months until he finally joined in and started singing along. Then he joined OK Music school where he began to learn to play the piano. He thrived on the stable routine, and playing piano now provides him respite and happiness. His concentration and motor skills have improved, and he is now confident in a group of children and socially more aware of others. He took part in the Christmas concert in 2019 and played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano which gave him a great sense of achievement. His family were so proud and joyful to watch him playing in the concert in front of a big audience.

D said: “I feel happy and excited to attend my music lessons!”

Read more about this Twickenham-based charity here

 

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People bee-keeping at bee urban charityCommunity

Bee Urban

August 16, 2019By

Improving facilities at a London bee-keeping social enterprise

Bee Urban is a honeybee-centric social enterprise promoting ecologically-sound practice around urban greening, building, farming and particularly bee-keeping.

It’s not just about bees however! Over 4,000 people a year visit the site in Kennington. At Bee Urban they work with disadvantaged, vulnerable people including those with mental health needs and learning difficulties. Local pupils learn about the environment, regeneration and wildlife in curriculum-relevant workshops and Volunteers are always welcome.

The Axis Foundation’s donation of £5,000 will contribute to making important improvements at the premises of this valuable local resource. These include: creating more planting space – to support the honey bees and to increase local biodiversity; improving the hardstanding to make the site safer and more accessible – particularly for those with mobility issues – and supporting a new aquaponics system.

“The funds from Axis Europe will help us to improve the accessibility of our garden space, enhancing the experience for elderly and disabled people who wish to access the grounds. We have wanted to make these improvements for a while but have lacked the resources to do so. The funds will make this possible and will improve everyone’s experience at Bee Urban. Thank You Axis.”
Barnaby Shaw, Bee Urban

The Axis Foundation reached a decade of donations this year. Read more about our 10th Birthday here and share the good news #10YrsGiving

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Care

Beyond The Streets – Door of Hope

July 1, 2019By

Helping provide routes out of prostitution for women in Tower Hamlets

In 2019, The Axis Foundation’s first donation of £5,000 supported Beyond the Streets’ Door of Hope. This project offers hope, support and routes out of prostitution for women in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London.

“Thank you for the generous donation… Your support will enable our Door of Hope team to continue to provide specialist support and genuine routes out for women involved in prostitution on the streets of the East End. You are ensuring that we can reach more women to offer consistency and a compassionate response to overcome the barriers they face. Thank you for standing with us, we are stronger with your support to tackle sexual exploitation in our community” – Josephine Knowles, Co-Director for Services

In 2023, the Axis Foundation Trustees agreed to make another award – of £1,286 – towards Door of Hope. This second donation will cover the cost of personal alarms (to help the women feel safer when in the area at night), identity documentation (including replacement birth certificates to them to get a Citizens Photo ID card for free which means they can then access vital services such as benefits and housing) and personal toiletries (to ensure that women do not have to sell sex more frequently in order to purchase basic products like toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant and sanitary towels).

“Thank you so much for this award! It will make a real difference to the women we journey alongside” – Victoria Curtis, Grants Manager

More About Beyond the Streets

For over 20 years Beyond the Streets have been working with women experiencing sexual exploitation as they journey to safer, heathier and happier lives. As a specialist charity they have an in-depth understanding of the complexity’s women face, the underlying causes of entry, and the multiple barriers to exiting. Working directly with women, the Door of Hope project provides a safe space for the women’s voices to be heard and for them to receive support and advocacy via specialist Women’s Support Workers. Using a trauma-informed, person-centred model, women can process feelings and safety plan whilst increasing their confidence and self-agency, so they themselves can identify their own needs and devise their own journeys to a future where they can thrive.

Alongside the Door of Hope project, Beyond the Street delivers a remote, UK-wide, free and confidential call-back service, Beyond Support, that also provides support and advocacy to women involved in selling sex. In both projects they work with local, specialist services to provide holistic and accessible support for women. They also run an affiliate network for 35+ other organisations who work within the theme; develop and deliver training for the third sector and statutory professionals; as well as create practitioner resources and reports that are uniquely informed by up-to-date research, lived experience and practitioner experience.  This is all with the aim of reducing stigma and barriers to support services, and to create much needed systemic change so no women are compelled to sell sex due to poverty, coercion, or violence.

CASE STUDY kindly provided by Beyond the Streets
April’s story

When we met April, she was using crack and heroine, involved in the criminal justice system for drug related offences, and selling sex frequently on the street. Our street outreach team connected with her until she got to a place where she wanted to access our 1:1 daytime support. Our trained Women’s Support Workers (WSW) provided 1:1 non-judgemental specialist listening space. Utilising a trauma-informed and women-centred approach, April had the opportunity to process her feelings and the trauma she had experienced early and later in life. This helped her develop confidence and self-agency in preparation for change. The WSW helped her access services by directly advocating for her with professionals and through partner referral organisations. This prevented her from having to re-tell her ‘story’ and risk re-traumatisation.

This work involved helping her to reduce her drug use through our partnership with a local specialist service and advocating for appropriate housing for her until she was placed in funded supported accommodation. April was also struggling with mental health difficulties,  processing trauma, and had been experiencing domestic abuse by her long-term partner. April’s Women’s Support Worker was able to secure free counselling. She also helped her access Universal Credit to support April and remove her money worries so she could focus on reaching her identified future goals. April was able to maintain zero contact with the perpetrator of the abuse she had previous suffered, who up until this point had remained in her life.

April has since applied for, and successfully secured a new job.

April has shared with us that ‘You never gave up on me and often you were the only support holding me up –I’m a new person and I’m excited about my future.”

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