We are proud to announce that SDL Minorfern has partnered with Matthew Good Foundation to establish the Minorfern Foundation. The Minorfern Foundation will provide grants to small and local charities and community groups in the Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire areas. The foundation was created to celebrate SDL Minorfern's 45th anniversary when we asked our employees to nominate beneficiaries. Over the last 45 years, SDL Minorfern has helped various charities and our people have taken part in supporting many causes. Now, our foundation aims to support small regional charities that are truly making a difference.
The Minorfern Foundation has received a wide range of excellent nominations from our employees for local organisations close to their hearts needing support, covering four main areas: alleviating poverty, supporting children and young people, improving health and wellbeing, and caring for animals.
We are thrilled to announce that the first two shortlisted charities to receive donations of £4,000 each are Sheffield Children's Hospital NHS and Charity and Walking 4 Hope.
By the end of 2024, we aim to donate £40,000 and we look forward to actively contributing to these causes and creating a lasting, positive change in the regions where our business operates. Further charities and non-profits will be announced as beneficiaries of the program throughout 2024.
Please follow the hashtag #MinorfernFoundation on FB to keep up to date.
Stairfoot Foodbank
Stairfoot Foodbank is a volunteer led community foodbank based in Stairfoot, Barnsley that provides free food parcels for anyone struggling in the Barnsley area. A grant would support the local community with the restocking of food and support local people and families who are falling on hard time through this cost of living crisis.
The Howarth Foundation
The Howarth Foundation is a small family run charity that was founded by a family business (a solicitors) to help homeless people take the next step back into mainstream society. This involves matching the individual with suitable employment from the Foundation’s membership of businesses and providing ongoing mentoring and support. Every pound that the Foundation receives makes a difference to someone’s life and future and helps break the cycle of homelessness.
Fairplay
Fairplay supports children and young people with disabilities and additional needs, and their families, across North Derbyshire. For children and young people with either a learning, sensory or physical disability, the centre is a lifeline - a safe place where those with complex needs can be cared for, make new friends and build on their interests. Fairplay’s services offer families the support that they need and gives them opportunities to take part in positive experiences that make a real difference to their lives. They enable parents to have valuable respite from 24-hour care and give children and young people the opportunity to develop a wide range of life skills. The charity is currently fundraising for a wheelchair-accessible minibus so they can take the children on outings that provide new experiences.
The Children’s Hospital Charity, Sheffield
Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist children’s hospital, providing the best possible care for children all over Yorkshire, the UK and beyond. The Children’s Hospital Charity supports and funds projects over and above the NHS provision. The charity is working hard to build a better future for everyone who visits the hospital, by fundraising for major projects such as the National Centre for Child Health Technology, Major Trauma Centre, Child Assessment Unit, Cancer and Leukaemia Ward as well as building a new Helipad.
Ben’s Den
Ben’s Den is a dedicated children’s charity based in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, set up in memory of Ben Parker, who sadly passed away in 2003 following a battle with leukaemia. The aim of the charity is to support the families of children fighting leukaemia or cancer, by gifting them a free holiday in Mablethorpe and allowing them to spend much needed, quality family together away from the overwhelming hospital environment. Over the last decade Ben’s Den has raised enough money to buy a fifth caravan, Ben’s Den 5, which will allow more families the chance to spend quality time together. Ben’s Den 5 is an adapted caravan which will mean fully inclusive access for wheelchairs.
Yorkshire Brain Tumour Charity
YBTC is Yorkshire’s leading brain tumour charity dedicated to raising funds for life changing research and patient support. Its vision is to cure a devastating disease that affects so many people and to provide the best patient and family support network for those affected.
Walking for Hope
Founded by a father who lost his 15 year old child to suicide and struggled through grief, but found solace in the outdoors, Walking for Hope is a mental health charity that aims to help people who are struggling using recreational activities such as walks, hikes, outdoor activities. The charity is relatively new, but already offers walking groups and peer support groups in Mansfield Woodhouse. The founder is also a facilitator at Andy’s Man Club in Chesterfield.
Dronfield First Responders
Dronfield Community First Responders was founded in 2005 and currently has nine first responders and eight new volunteers going through the training process. Community first responders are volunteers who give up their spare time to attend appropriate emergency calls in their own community. They are trained to provide life-saving treatment to patients in the vital first few minutes of an emergency until an ambulance crew arrives. If effective treatment is provided quickly, lives can be saved and disability reduced. It covers the entire S18 area and can be despatched to Chesterfield, Eckington and South Sheffield.
Babbington Dog Rescue
Babbington Rescue was established in February 1993 to cater for stray and abandoned dogs. They have a non-destruction policy with a current average re-homing rate of over 600 dogs a year. They have found homes for nearly 10,000 dogs, who through no fault of their own have come into their care. All income goes straight to their dogs to pay for vaccinations, spaying/neutering, any other vet care needed, micro-chipping, food, water, heating, bedding, staff etc.
Brinsley Wildlife Rescue
Brinsley Animal Rescue rescues pets, wild animals and farm animals, its aim is to re home pets and farm animals into life-long loving homes and release wild animals back into the wild. Where they cannot rehome pets and farm animals, they provide them with permanent sanctuary. The charity has no paid staff and its premises, land, buildings, utilities and fuel are donated by the founders to the charity free of charge. Therefore, all of the money raised for the Charity goes directly into helping animals by paying for food, bedding, treatment and vets bills.