New classroom supports activities for disadvantaged adults and children
Wildgoose Rural Training provides activities for disabled adults and children who struggle with the normal education system and those facing problems with their mental health.
In 2023, the Trustees of the Axis Foundation awarded the Worcester based charity £10,000 to help build a new classroom.
The new classroom helped Wildgoose to expand its services and benefit a larger number of individuals in the local community and across Worcestershire.
“Big thanks to Axis for supporting this project which has made a huge difference to our staff and students” – Karen McConnell, Development Officer
And in 2024, the Foundation made a further award of £5,914 to build a new barn containing two new classrooms and a storage area. The extra classrooms mean an additional 14 students per day can join in the activities on offer.
More about Wild Goose
Wild Goose offers activities like agriculture, woodwork, mechanics, horticulture, animal husbandry, nature reserve management, cookery and a workstream program learning invaluable practical skills.
Through taking part in various activities students advance in the capacity and the skills required to support a more independent lifestyle.
The Axis Foundation awarded Strength & Learning Through Horses a grant of £12,000 to purchase a modular building to help them continue their services – whatever the weather.
“We are very grateful for your recent incredibly generous donation of £12,000 … Thanks to your donation, we will be able to purchase a modular building in which to teach our therapy sessions. These sessions help young people in mental health crisis to begin to turn their lives around and move towards a positive future. Thanks to your support we will be able to help more of these young people access our life-changing service” – Dr Hockley and Rosie Bensley, Founders and Joint CEOs
More about Strength & Learning Through Horses
Strength & Learning Through Horses is London’s largest equine-assisted therapy and education charity currently supporting 400-450 young people in crisis per year. Many children have experienced significant trauma and neglect and are either excluded from mainstream education or considered at risk of exclusion.
The charity uses the natural ability of horses to read and respond to human emotions to engage young people in the process of learning about their own behaviours and emotions.
Headway West London helps brain injury survivors and their families, helping them reconnect with their local communities.
The Axis Foundation’s donation of £3783 will support their computer/ mobile contact work including one-to-one support, online workshops, educational support work and health talks.
“We are very grateful to all at the Axis Foundation for their kind donation. This will assist us in providing our linkworkers with the best possible infrastructure to carry out their work with our members as efficiently as possible, and therefore enable us to support as many people as possible. Thank you from us all” – Laura Murphy, Chair of Trustees
More about Headway West London
A brain injury can happen to anyone: through a fall, a road accident, a sporting incident, an assault, a tumour or haemorrhage. Acquired brain injury is often known as the hidden disability. Survivors are often lonely, isolated, bewildered and very distressed by the sudden and dramatic changes to their lives.
Affiliated with Headway – the brain injury association, Headway West London helps ensure vulnerable, isolated brain injured survivors do not fall through the net, supporting them through one-to-one sessions, targeted training pathways, return to work support as well as health and wellbeing sessions, in-person and online.
They work in the west London boroughs of Ealing, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster and have established close links with St Mary’s Hospital Paddington and Charing Cross hospitals, Hammersmith trauma clinics and Brain Odysseys, a performance arts intervention group designed with people living with brain injury to support recovery through song writing, music, dance and performance.
“HWL offers a great service supporting our patients and their families, particularly in the early days when things can be very overwhelming. They are able to offer advice and in particular help families with both emotional and practical needs. As a therapist it is so helpful to have their service to help support us in educating families and offering support when you can at times feel helpless as a clinician” – Natalie Marroney, Neuro Trauma Therapy Lead at St Mary’s Hospital
Creating safe place for young people to talk in confidence
Youth Talk offers free, confidential counselling that improves the quality of life of children and young people in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
And our award of £10,000 to Youth Talk will help them fit out new, larger premises to create a more productive, safe and pleasant space for young people to talk in confidence. By creating eight counselling suites, the charity will double their current capacity: part of their five-year strategy is to double the number of 1:1 sessions they offer by 2026. It will also give the charity office and meeting spaces for the first time in its 25-year history.
“Wow – what totally wonderful news. A HUGE thank you on behalf of everyone at the charity and more importantly thank you on behalf of the young people you will be supporting. Our new home is a critical part of our new five-year strategy for growth and we could not have done it without the tremendous support of the Axis Foundation” – David Barker, Chief Executive, Youth Talk
More About Youth Talk
Youth Talk is a registered charity and a Hertfordshire County Council approved provider of counselling psychotherapy. They offer free, confidential counselling that improves the quality of life of children and young people aged 13-25 in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
When young people seek support from Youth Talk, the most frequently reported symptoms include depression, anxiety and stress. Early support helps prevent mental health problems from worsening and enables young people to succeed at school and earn a living so they can support themselves and their families.
The charity believes that every young person should have a safe place to talk in confidence and get early support for their mental health needs, so they can move on with their lives and pursue their dreams.
There really are no limits to what our own Axis People will do to help the Axis Foundation and Demelza!
Everyone who works at Axis cherishes the Foundation and Demelza. We’ve been up (and got down) to many activities, Fundraising and using our Volunteering Days to support both causes close to our hearts. Here are just a few examples!
Ahoy
Arts for All
Marathon Man
Arts for All
Morrisons Fundraising
Demelza’s garden
Trees for Demelza
Halloween fundraising
Abseiling down the ArcelorMittal Orbit
In Demelza’s warehouse
Croydon Football
Hope in Depression
Fundraising for Demelza and the Axis Foundation
Ben Ibrahim, Divisional Manager, ran the London Marathon. Ben raised £14,600
Our Oldbury Team organised a fiendish Treasure Hunt for Halloween. Their devilish enthusiasm raised £45
Kellie Turner, Head of Community Investment, and Oliver Refson, Head of Sustainability and Quality, abseiled down the ArcelorMittal Orbit in Stratford Olympic Park. Kellie and Ollie raised £1,500
With Croydon Council, our team in Croydon hosted an 11-a-side charity football match, raising £640
Volunteering to help our Foundation charities
Colin Norwood, Projects Supervisor, Joseph Hayes, Business Development Manager, and Kemeisha Brown, Resident Liaison Officer, all volunteered at Arts for All, a creative charity based in London which runs art therapy sessions for people with special needs.
Marketing crew Tim Aslett and Kurt Mussell volunteered at The AHOY Centre which helps disadvantaged children in Deptford learn life skills on the water.
HR Intern Grace D’Souza volunteered at Hope in Depression, supporting individuals managing depression and/or anxiety.
Volunteering to support Demelza
At the Warehouse: RLOs Sarah Cooper, Martine Hales, Adila Gredelj, Donna Tryhall Adila Gredelj, Elma Gredelj, Christina Castle and Ben Nitsch, Electrician, sorted donated items at Demelza’s warehouse in Maidstone, Kent for delivery to Demelza’s charity shops.
And In the Garden: Lorrae Mannering, Commercial Manager, Katie Hayes, Team Leader, Gary Weaver, Multi-trader, Bradley Emms, Groundworker, Michael Kitts, Multitrader Steve Hogben, Electrician Jake Remon, Apprentice Electrician, Emily Nisbett Commercial Analyst, Stuart Carlow, Plumber, Thomas Darling, Apprentice Plumber, Ryan Kelly, Plumber, Louie Attaway, Plumber, Anthony Veal, Supervisor, Geoffrey Collins, Multitrader, Michael Kitts, Plasterer, Stephanie Hendry, Administrator and Amelia Randall, Scheduler, all spruced up the gardens at Demelza’s Sittingbourne Hospice.
Two Sittingbourne operatives, Nigel Blackshaw and Dave Day, helped Demelza by collecting Christmas trees in Tunbridge Wells, Bromley, Medway and Swale. Demelza will use the trees for topping up bark pathways, mulching underneath trees and hedges and composting in the grounds of the Sittingbourne Hospice.
Main picture: Francesca Fordham, Rositsa Kormeva, Tanya Edwards, Sarah Cooper and Connor Ritson from Projects volunteered to raise funds at Morrisons in Thamesmead for Demelza.
The Sea Change Trust offers psychological support to infants, children, young people and their parents and carers, regardless of financial means, background or status.
The Axis Foundation has donated £3,000 towards the cost of purchasing items for their Early Years’ Project including: an additional bell tent and porch, a heater, camping chairs, arts and crafts materials, toys and sensory equipment, a ball pit, windbreakers, blankets, cushions and beanbags, banners, and a tablet to record feedback.
‘We’d like to thank the Axis foundation for their kind donation to our Early Years Project for equipment and very importantly, a new Bell Tent! At a time when services for young families are diminishing and cuts in public transport make accessing support more and more difficult in our rural county, we are delighted that this will help us take our drop-in sessions to more communities. Numbers at the drop-ins are growing and being able to buy a bigger tent will help us all be well ventilated and covid-safe while spending time together. Many, many thanks from all our therapists, parents, and babies’ – Tess Bailey-Sayer, CEO, The Sea Change Trust.
More About Sea Change Trust
Based in Shropshire, The Sea Change Trust comprises a team of child specialists, experienced in the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services across the West Midlands and in other settings. They particularly want to address and redress the absence of specialist services in rural areas. The charity offers group and one to one support addressing loneliness and bereavement, anxiety and emotional and mental ill-health. Their careful referral process works in partnership with other charities and service providers. They work with young refugees and asylum seekers, with new parents and those with young children and with schools and other partner organisations, to support children, young people, parents, and teachers.
The Early Years Project provides safe and non-judgmental drop-in sessions run by qualified therapists, where pre-school children, parents and carers can share their experiences. The Sea Change Trust intends to deliver more sessions and support more families, particularly focusing on areas of social deprivation and rural isolation.
Helping sufferers manage depression – and teaching them and their carers to understand more about depression too.
‘Providing HOPE to people who believe there is none’, this Ascot-based charity runs six-week courses available to everyone in Berkshire.
The Axis Foundation donated £3,700 towards the production of 500 coursebooks which support these courses.
‘We are thrilled to receive this funding and to know a batch of 500 course books are paid for. We are globally in a mental health crisis, and this can feel like an insurmountable problem but we know there is HOPE and we have a solution that works. The Hope in Depression course saves lives.
“We all need to learn how to get the best from our mental health and to learn that life is to enjoy not endure. Our outstanding speaker films instigate conversation, provide empowering solutions, highlight choice. Discussion creates community, which in turn normalises what each person is going through. And so HOPE grows” – Lisa Owens, CEO and Founder
More about the course
The six-week Hope in Depression course covers brain chemistry; nutrition, physical activity, goal setting and mindfulness. And there are talks from experts plus the support of a psychiatrist, GP, therapist, nutritionist, mindfulness instructor and a fitness instructor. The coursebook to which we are contributing provides all the information from the six-week course. And so it provides a reference guide during the course and support for after the course has finished. It has helpful hints and tips as well as signposting support organisations
More about Hope in Depression
Lisa Owens founded Hope in Depression in 2013. She says: “I was so relieved to experience life after depression that I thought my suffering, my battle and my recovery could have a purpose. I wanted to share a message I didn’t believe for a long time: you can get better.”
More here
Green Health Thames Valley (GHTV) helps people with mental health difficulties through horticulture-based programmes and activities.
The Axis Foundation’s donation of £4,450 purchased a polytunnel, raised beds and green roofs for the sheds for their community garden in Whitley.
“We are thrilled with the support from the Axis Foundation. Our new polytunnel is fantastic. It enables us to extend our growing season and provide warm dry space for clients. We have installed new raised beds and have finalised designs for a new green roof which will be created very soon. It’s so exciting seeing these improvements. Thank you to all at Axis Foundation. Your support means so much to us all at GHTV” – Richard Byard, Chair of GHTV
More about Green Health
The horticultural programmes at Reading-based Green Health help marginalised and isolated clients. Here they can engage with nature, create projects and participate in physical activities. They can also socialise with other clients and locally-based volunteers. As a result, they become more confident, less socially isolated and develop new skills that move them closer to economic activity and independence.
In addition to helping people with their mental health, GHTV also aims to protect physical health through encouraging horticulture-related physical activity and promoting healthy eating.
The charity additionally aims to improve the places and spaces of their local communities.
Find out more about the work of Green Health Thames Valley here.
Foundation supports Mental Health Ambassador project
Student Life, based in Ipswich, supports the government’s initiative to transform the way that mental health problems are dealt with in our society. They place an emphasis on early intervention for children and young people. The charity also aims to normalise speaking up about mental health and reducing stigma and media stereotypes.
The Axis Foundation’s donation of £4,715 will fund one young person to be trained as a Mental Health First Aid England Instructor. They will deliver Youth Mental Health First Aid and other mental health awareness training courses to students to allow them to become Mental Health Ambassadors, creating a unique peer-to-peer support network.
Young people from school year 10+ will benefit from having access to at least one peer who will offer support and guidance through 1-2-1 discussion, through spotting early warning signs of mental health issues and signposting to additional, third party support.
“We are exceptionally proud of our Mental Health Ambassador project and the unique nature of the work that we carry out in education settings across 3 counties. Part of the uniqueness is that our own young people – not long out of education themselves – are placed on accredited training through Mental Health First Aid England and having graduated, are training other young people in a very relevant and relatable way. This would not be possible without the support of organisations like the Axis Foundation: and our Trustees, our young team and I are so very grateful for this amazing support” – Richard Stewart, Chief Executive at Student Life
More about Student Life
Student Life works with young people in high schools, sixth forms, colleges and universities providing support and activities to develop their skills, capacities and capabilities, and supporting their mental health as they go through education into employment. This work is currently carried out in over 60 settings in Suffolk, Norfolk and Kent, with plans to extend into 2 additional counties from January 2021.
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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