Sammy's Foundation

Sammy's Foundation : Helping disabled children master artisanal craft.

In memory of Sammy Alban-Stanley, I'm raising money to build a fund dedicated to teaching skilled crafts to driven young adults with complex neurological conditions.

These young adults will all be aged between 16 and 25, and they will be trained in valuable heritage craft skills for the interior design sector.

This is not a way to “keep them busy.” We are making a genuine effort to help these talented young people uncover skills and attributes that will help them to find a valuable and fulfilling place in a world which, sadly, does not always welcome them with open arms.

And we need your help to succeed.

Training a new generation of master artisans

Sammy’s Foundation is looking to deliver high-quality professional training. We are not teaching heritage crafts as hobbies. We want to provide young people with a professional skillset, and have them engage in professional work from the outset.

In essence, what we are offering is an apprenticeship scheme aimed at a very specific, and underserved, group of young adults.

There is a significant gap in the market for bespoke craft items, causing many UK-based interior designers to source them from overseas. We believe that training a new generation of master artisans could support growth in the craft sector, increasing wider market interest.

Interior designers, furniture makers, and other market participants would have access to high-quality, locally produced, bespoke craft that did not have to be shipped internationally; the young people we work with would have access to commercially viable careers.

The importance of creative work

Scientific research has demonstrated conclusively that creative work can benefit children with a wide variety of neurological disabilities.

Children on the Autism spectrum (ASD) have been shown to develop better social and physical skills thanks to artistic intervention . Learning disabled people often experience profound opportunities for emotional expression and a sense of belonging that eludes them in wider society. Children with Nonverbal Learning Disability (NLD) see vast improvements in their concentration . The list goes on.

These children, who are often excluded from the mainstream, have a great deal to give. Many of them possess incredible talents – although they are not provided with the resources they need to find and develop those talents.

By teaching heritage crafts to young people with these conditions, we can help make a real difference to their lives.

Rescuing heritage crafts

Research from the Heritage Crafts charity shows that many skills in the UK risk going extinct . This is due to higher energy prices, cheaper overseas production, and dwindling local interest. However, these crafts, which include well-known traditional arts like lacquerwork, stained glass window making, bow-making and shoe and boot making, are incredibly valuable.

I am a practising upholsterer trained in traditional skills. I know from first-hand experience that there is a real need for talented artisans in fields such as traditional upholstery, French polishing, passementerie and wood-carving and turning. Our apprentices will gain valuable skills training under recognised masters who are desperate to pass on their skills.

This will not only enhance our apprentices’ lives, but also aid the valuable and historic traditional British craft sector.

Sammy’s story

My son, Sammy, was just 13 when his life was cut short in 2020. He died from injuries following a fall from height in April 2020, near his home.

His Article 2 inquest exposed years of multiple State failings and rejections to my requests to provide Sammy with adequate disability support to keep him safe. The coroner issued a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, warning more fatal incidents may arise “if children with complex neurodevelopmental needs are excluded from accessing the care and treatment they require to keep them safe”.

I believe it is critically important for disabled young people to develop purposeful lives, and remain in their local communities with their families. Sammy’s Foundation provides an opportunity to help accomplish both of these things.

Sammy’s legacy

Sammy found working with his hands invigorating, satisfying, and calming. He became skilled particularly in woodwork and upholstery techniques and demonstrated a focus, dedication and expertise that was extraordinary.

My hope is that I can help others like him with workshop-based assisted placements, using a tailored approach unique to each individual in a mindfulness-based setting. I have already acquired the support of key people and organisations in the heritage arts field, as well as high-profile activists and creative arts leaders.

What comes next…

Our charity is registered, trustees are in place, and our launch date is set. We’re aiming to crowdfund £20k to start up the charity including to develop a comprehensive series of pilots and website to showcase our vision and craft.

We’re reaching out at this crucial stage in the hopes that you will help us provide other young people in need with the help Sammy should have been given. We’re confident that with your help this dream can become a reality.