Support DFN Charitable Foundation

10 years ago, I launched the DFN Charitable Foundation, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far. Since its inception, the Foundation has:

✅ Established a world class special educational needs (SEN) school, Undershaw Education Trust

✅ Empowered over 2000 young adults with learning disabilities or autism spectrum conditions to secure paid employment through DFN Project SEARCH

✅ Contributed to advancements in diagnostic and treatment pathways for Myeloma, thanks to collaborations with Dr Martin Kaiser, The Institute of Cancer Research and Myeloma UK

✅ Supported wildlife conservation efforts, including sponsoring The Big Butterfly Count

We need your support to help ensure we can continue and expand this fantastic work over the next 10 years. My son Harry Forbes-Nixon and I are teaming up to run the Brighton Marathon for DFN Charitable Foundation on 7th April 2024.

Our goal is to raise £5000, split equally across the causes below, and every donation counts! Plus, donations are being matched by pledges for each of these causes by the DFN Foundation effectively quadrupling the impact of your contribution.

Employability

"We are missing out on a pool of untapped talent."

Did you know that only 4.8% of young adults with learning disabilities, known to their local authority in England, are employed? My son, Charlie, frequently tells me that this is a “social injustice,” and he is right.

DFN Project SEARCH is a high-quality supported internship program that sees over 60% of its graduates gaining full-time employment. The charity has partnered with a wide range of employers who recognise the talents of young adults with learning disabilities ranging from Amazon to Asda.

So far, DFN Project SEARCH has:

By 2033, the charity aims to help 20,000 young adults with learning disabilities and/or autism into employment

Education

The DFN Foundation supports Undershaw Education Trust. Undershaw Education Trust is thriving with 115 places for young people aged 7-19 with learning needs such as ASD, cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, and medical vulnerabilities. It is a school where students can access the national curriculum and qualification pathways in a safe, secure, and friendly environment. Undershaw has a strong focus on employability and works as a flagship provider with the Skills Builder Partnership

Undershaw continues to strive to make positive change happen and works tirelessly to ensure its pupils are prepared to be socially and economically engaged in the future.

Healthcare

The foundation supports a research fellow at the world leading Institute of Cancer Research, Dr Martin Kaiser.

The MUK nine/OPTIMUM clinical trial, which the DFN Foundation, is funding, showed that a more intensive and personalised treatment regime could offer new hope to patients diagnosed with the highest risk forms of myeloma.

Using state-of-the-art diagnostics and genetic profiling, the team identified patients with high-risk myeloma and gave them a treatment of a unique combination of drugs and high dose therapy. The trial, has demonstrated that using treatments in combination, - rather than given consecutively as has previously been the case – is markedly better for patients diagnosed with high-risk myeloma. Over 75% of those involved in the trial were still in remission nearly three years after they started treatment, compared to less than 50% of patients with the current standard of care.

Wildlife Conservation

DFN Charitable Foundation has supported the Big Butterfly Count. Thanks to the foundation's backing, we've rallied 64,000 citizen scientists who have collectively tallied over 96,000 butterflies across the UK. This effort is crucial as butterflies face the looming threat of extinction due to human activity encroaching on their habitats. Butterflies and moths are recognised as indicators of biodiversity.

Moving forward, the foundation aims to expand its wildlife conservation efforts to The Pangolin Project which is dedicated to combatting the threats facing these remarkable creatures. They provide essential ranger training and support, craft comprehensive conservation plans, and spearhead impactful awareness campaigns to shed light on the plight of pangolins.

With your help, we can create meaningful change in the world. Thank you for your support!