A Bedford-based charity is celebrating 10 years of tackling complex societal problems and delivering transformative outcomes for unheard voices in the UK and further afield.
The DFN Charitable Foundation (DFN Foundation) was set up in 2014 by David Forbes-Nixon OBE with a focus on working across four areas, education, employability, healthcare and wildlife conservation.
Over the past decade, DFN Foundation has set up a school for pupils with special educational needs and have also established an employability charity, DFN Project SEARCH, which helps get young people with a learning disability and/or autism into jobs.
Further work has seen the charity supporting a Myeloma Research Programme to improve survival rates in myeloma patients with high-risk myeloma as well as ensuring the survival of the British butterfly, through its work with the Big Butterfly Count.
Read: 18,370 butterflies spotted in Bedfordshire last summer, can we beat that this year?
Founder and Chairman, David Forbes-Nixon said: “I was inspired to set up the DFN Foundation, to honour two of my personal heroes,
“My son Charlie who has learning and physical disabilities and my mother who died of multiple myeloma. Over the past decade, our work has strived to create a better world in their legacy and for generations to come.
“At the start, I wanted the DFN Foundation to focus on the two main causes that I was passionate about: supporting education and employment opportunities for young disabled people; and finding a cure for multiple myeloma.
“However, as we grew, we broadened our scope and we looked to take on some of the most pressing social challenges that often struggle to attract mainstream support because they are viewed as risky, difficult or simply impossible.
“In order to achieve this, I assembled a high-quality board of trustees for the DFN Foundation and we agreed to focus on education, employment, healthcare and wildlife conservation alongside establishing four main goals for the first 10 years. “
Research funding
DFN Foundation’s work in healthcare has looked to improve survival rates of myeloma and advance cures through strategic funding for research which will benefit patients to live longer lives.
The DFN Foundation’s effort to improve wildlife conservation has seen it look to ensure the survival of the British butterfly, through increasing awareness and sponsoring the Big Butterfly Count, a UK-wide citizen science survey.
“On our tenth anniversary year, I think it is important that we take stock and look back on all the incredible achievements that we have had as a Foundation but also look forward to the next stage in our growth,” added David.
“We want to make sure that the DFN Foundation has a lasting impact and as part of our policy work we will launch the DFN Scholars programme and continue to work with Disability Employment Charter and the Centre of Social Justice and lobby policymakers in Parliament with a goal of reducing the disability employment gap.”
