FoundationHighlightsEdition 88 l February 2016

Our online chocolate box auction returns!

February 2016 2dmthomasfoundation.org

Welcome

Hello and welcome to our monthly newsletter, which is brimming with news about how your amazing support is helping us to transform young lives, by helping them to Achieve it, Beat it, Live it and Experience it. We believe that all young people should be ABLE to fulfil their potential.

Under our ABLE umbrella, we awarded £500 to the Acorn Centre in Nuneaton, nominated by our supporters at Hilton Worldwide’s International HQ in Watford. The money will help young people facing mental health issues and challenges such as depression, self-harm and

bullying. Following the donation, we heard back from Jane Brown at the charity, who said “Thank you so much, we will be able to provide 83 counselling sessions which will enable us to offer 10 free sessions to 8 clients.” This is just one example of many interventions we are able to offer to hundreds of small charities, thanks to all of our supporters.

February means Valentine’s Day and for the second year running we are proud to be holding an online auction called Chocs for Chance, which raises funds for our into-work training programme Galvin’s Chance. We are fortunate to receive support from some amazing chefs and have bespoke chocolate boxes being made by top names including Raymond Blanc OBE, Michel Roux Jr, Chris Galvin, Bryn Williams, Tom Kerridge. There is also the chance to win a box of chocolates created by our very own ‘love guru’ Fred Sirieix, from Channel 4’s ‘First Dates’, who co-founded Galvin’s Chance with Chris and who is a tireless fundraiser and ambassador for the Galvin’s Chance programme. We are grateful to Bunzl for sponsoring Chocs for Chance 2016, and our supporters Keylink and Valrhona.

Another long time sponsor of our work, Coca Cola, will be giving their time and energy this coming Friday to volunteer with us. We are proud to be working with a team who will be helping paint and revitalise Sutton Mencap’s facility in South London. Friend of the Foundation Andy Monk and a team of eight of his regional staff will be rolling up their sleeves to help make a difference.

The Foundation makes a difference in lots of different ways. Last month, I was delighted to join Iain Pollock, Philippa Redwood and the team at Hilton Avisford Park in Arundel, West Sussex, for a special Giveaway event. Funds raised at their Foundation Ball were distributed to nine different local causes, enabling the purchase of new school library books, sensory toys and equipment, outdoor playground equipment, training goals for mini soccer and regeneration of the environment to create a nature garden and for after-school clubs.

Thanks to all of your hard work last year, the Foundation was able to donate £1.2 million across 488 different projects, helping 65,683 young people to transform their lives. You can read about some of the young people helped in this newsletter. However, we do need your ongoing support to continue to do this. Why not run for the Foundation, buy a box of chocolates, or even organise an event on our behalf. Our team is here to support you! With your help we can help young people to be ABLE to transform their own lives.

Warm regards,

Simon Sheehan, Director

Simon with Frank Barnes School for Deaf Children and Ducks for Change

Help us to transform young lives. Please donate now.

February 2016 3dmthomasfoundation.org

Breaking down barriers to employment

Young Epilepsy is a national charity which works exclusively for children and young people aged 25 and under, who have epilepsy and associated conditions. In 2014, the Foundation awarded Young Epilepsy with a grant of £34,850 for the creation of a new Business Skills Area (Mock Office) within the Therapy and Skills Training centre for students attending Young Epilepsy’s Further Education College. In 2015 the new DM Thomas Foundation Business Skills Area was unveiled, and we share photos of the grand unveiling with you in November 2015’s edition of Highlights. We are now delighted to be able to share with you an update from one of the students who attends the college, to show what a difference it is already making.

Manuel’s story

Manuel is 20 and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning difficulties. He has been at Young Epilepsy since he was 11, starting off as a 52 week residential student. At first, Manuel struggled to settle in, as he found communicating difficult and displayed challenging behaviour as a result. Now at college, Manual attends weekly business administration lessons in the new DM Thomas Foundation Business Skills Suite to improve his employability prospects. Within this calming environment, Manuel has been able to maintain his focus, confidently compose and send descriptive emails, verbally communicate in a professional manner, work on his CV, practise completing application forms and practice job interviews. He has learnt how to deal with problems at work and has had training on health and safety in the work environment.

Manuel is part of the Hospital Project led by Surrey Choices EmployAbility, who provide work placements for adults with learning difficulties. He was successful in his interview for a position in the hospital canteen and will start his placement next term for two whole days a week, which will involve customer service, food preparation and cleaning. He is also in the running, along with another Young Epilepsy student, for an additional role at the hospital during the summer term.

The skills Manuel is learning at college extend to all areas of his life, as well has preparing him for employment. His new found skills came in handy recently, when he accidentally left his bag at a train station. He emailed his tutor to say he would be late, searched the internet to find the number of the train station and submitted a lost baggage form independently.

Manuel is rightly proud of his achievements and says: “the best thing is learning new skills. It makes me happy”.

Young Epilepsy’s Work Based Learning Coordinator, Wendy Tester, said “this space is a great addition to the campus. It’s amazing when a student gets a placement, it’s a real achievement and anything that aids that is only a good thing”.

February 2016 4dmthomasfoundation.org

Avisford Park local Giveaway

On 13 January 2016 nine local charities were invited to Hilton Avisford Park to receive a share of almost £5,865, from funds raised at the Hotel’s Charity Ball, A Night at the Casino Royale, which was held last October. The recipient charities were Walberton & Binsted CE Primary School, Littlehampton Swimming Club, Arundel C of E Primary School, Fethneys - Leonard Cheshire Disability, Barnham Trojans, Aldingbourne County Primary School, St Richard’s Nursery Unit, Chestnut Tree House and Springwood Infant & Junior School, who all attended the hotel to receive their cheques. Funds also went to continue the work of the Foundation improving the education and wellbeing of disabled, sick and disadvantaged young people and supporting children and young people to be ABLE to transform their lives for the better.

“It was really nice that the team members who nominated the various charities were also there. I wanted them to experience the event and to be with their nominated charity for the individual presentations. It was great to get them involved and there was real buzz about the hotel on the day and made the presentations that bit more personal.” Philippa Redwood, Hilton Avisford Park.

Photography copywrite http://www.ajmphotos.co.uk/

February 2016 5dmthomasfoundation.org

Michelin starred restaurant Galvin at Windows saw more than its fair share of top chefs this January 18, when Chris Galvin, the Chef Patron of Galvin at Windows, and General Manager Fred Sirieix, welcomed some of the UK’s top chefs and chocolatiers, for the launch of Chocs for Chance 2016.

From 29 January luxury chocolate boxes are being sold online, in our 10 day auction. Fred and Chris have invited incredible chefs including Raymond Blanc OBE, Marcus Wareing and Michel Roux Jr to create bespoke, one of a kind chocolate boxes, which will be delivered to the lucky winning

bidders in time for Valentine’s Day. New for 2016, Fred Sirieix will also be creating his own chocolate box which will be raffled off to a lucky winner.

The money raised from the chocolate auction will fund our into-work programme Galvin’s Chance, which offers young people the opportunity to turn their lives around through training and work placements at top restaurants in London.

Chris and Fred said “Galvin’s Chance is amazing because it is about the industry giving a chance to young people. We believe success is contextual and so if you give people guidance, opportunities and support, they will succeed and that is why we do it”.

Many of the participating chefs gathered in the stunning surroundings of Galvin at Windows to launch the auction. Big names from the world of chocolate were there including renowned chocolatiers Paul A Young, and Matthieu de Gottal. Chefs including Jose Pizarro, Carla Henriques, Fergus Henderson and Jeremy Lee also attended

Matthieu de Gottal said “Everyone deserves a second chance in life, but chance is not enough, we need to gather up and help! And therefore I am so thrilled and honoured to be able to supply a brick in the rebuilding of these youngsters lives through the medium of happiness: CHOCOLATE.”

The chefs were welcomed by Chris and Fred before gathering in their chef whites for a photocall, with the luxurious velvet heart-shaped boxes that the chocolates will be sent to their lucky winners in. The boxes and glassine inserts have been kindly donated by Keylink. A sample of the chocolates created by Guardian journalist Stuart Heritage – who is also creating a box for the auction – was available for the chefs to sample. The chocolates were co-created by Stuart with Valrhona pastry chef Luke Frost, with some of the chocolate generously donated by Chocs for Chance supporters Valrhona chocolate.

Matt Johnson of Bunzl – who are the official sponsors of Chocs for Chance 2016 – also attended. Matt told us “Gavin’s Chance is a fantastic cause and Bunzl Catering & Hospitality Division are delighted to be sponsoring Chocs for Chance, a great event to raise money to help disadvantaged young people in London get into the hospitality industry.”

The chefs have all generously donated their incredible talents, their time and their energies into creating truly indulgent chocolate boxes. Many are also donating additional prizes to accompany their auction items, including dinner for two at their restaurants, copies of their cookbooks and more. To find out more and take part in the auction visit chocsforchance.org.

Chocs for Chance 2016 is sponsored by Bunzl and supported by Keylink and Valrhona.

Chocs away!

February 2016 6dmthomasfoundation.org

Buy a charity raffle ticket today for the chance to win a

500g luxury chocolate box from “love guru” Fred Sirieix,

General Manager of Galvin at Windows!

Tickets cost £10 each.

Terms and conditions apply, please visit chocsforchance.org for more details. Chocs for Chance and Galvin’s Chance are initiatives of the DM ThomasFoundation for Young People, a registered charity No. 1084220 (England & Wales) and SC038995 (Scotland).

www.chocsforchance.org

Share the love and give young people a chance

BUY NOW

February 2016 7dmthomasfoundation.org

A Foundation grant of £4,800 was made to Doncaster Community Arts (known as DARTS for short). This was used to buy specialist equipment and musical instruments for use by young people with different abilities. Sophy Sylvester, the Arts Development Manager at DARTS said: “The fact that the equipment is so perfectly designed to be fit-for-purpose for the participants means that there is increased choice and thus independence in making that choice. There are plenty of instruments and props to go round so everyone has equal choice and can develop new skills.”

Children and young people with disabilities have benefitted from the new equipment, through the delivery of 87 sessions between December 2014 and December 2015. The sessions we funded include:

Makaton for Babies: in six sessions led by the trained Makaton Tutor, a range of instruments and props helped a group of very young children and their families to learn new ways of communicating non-verbally. Being able to engage very young children through sensory play and instruments really added value to these sessions and increased the confidence and communication levels of the children and their families.

Heatherwood Play Club/Jiggle & Jive: Our grant enabled 24 two-hour sessions to take place after school at Heatherwood Special School. Visual artists, musicians and drama artists led the sessions, with a huge array of props, equipment and instruments to inspire and initiate creative activity. It is essential that these are fit-for-purpose, safe and different to what the school itself can provide. The physical and communication needs of these children and young people are profound and often it is only by repeating sensory activities over a period of time that we can see small or profound changes. Having unusual and inspiring instruments such as the cajon or the aquaphone, as well as tactile and visually appealing props such as squishy shapes and stretchy Lycra, which engages the children, is accessible enough to offer an immediate sense of achievement and allow independence when group members choose what they would like to explore.

The Orangery Play Clubs: 12 two-hour sessions were delivered for younger children at the charity’s community hub The Point. This after school club allowed children with a range of disabilities to access creative sessions on a regular basis. Additionally, 35 sessions were delivered during term time for older young people with disabilities, from Northridge Special School.

Holiday and Saturday Music Sessions: Six music-specific sessions were delivered at The Point. Musicians often take a theme or story as a starting point and encourage participants to bring it to life by using unusual and tactile instruments and props. Where the Wild Things Are, for example, inspires soft sounds of the sea, stretchy blue fabric shimmering as the waves, loud banging sounds for the wild rumpus and puppets as characters.

Makaton and Music: The grant enabled four two-hour pilot sessions to take place at Coppice Special School using Makaton and music to communicate, build skills and build confidence and independence.

Additionally, the instruments and equipment have been used by able-bodied groups accessing DARTS activities and will be continued to be used as resources for the sessions.

Sophy said: “I can’t tell you how happy this grant has made us! It can be so difficult to find money for capital equipment such as this and as you have seen it has hugely enhanced the work we are doing with children and young people with a disability”.

Helping young people of all ages to access the arts

February 2016 8dmthomasfoundation.org

Grant update: News from The Clock Tower Sanctuary

In 2015 the Foundation awarded £8,800 to The Clock Tower Sanctuary for the provision of a series of AQA accredited bite-sized workshops to help young people develop skills for independent living. We caught up with them recently to find out how the first year of their two year project has been going. We’re delighted to be able to share with you Toby’s story:

Toby’s story

When Toby first arrived at The Clock Tower Sanctuary he was exhausted and alone. Due to a family breakdown he had ended up sleeping rough on the streets. It was winter and to keep safe he would walk for hours along Brighton seafront at night, and when it was light he’d find a place to put his sleeping bag and sleep.

The volunteers at The Sanctuary welcomed Toby and showed him the food, laundry and shower facilities available. Their Client Case Worker helped Toby to secure hostel accommodation and encouraged him to get involved with the life skill courses. Keen to get back into work, Toby has attended modules ‘Writing a CV’ and ‘Interview Skills’. He is now happier and looking to the future.

“It was really helpful having support with my CV. I want to apply for non-catering positions and start applying for jobs that I enjoy and that use my languages.” Toby, 22 years old.

New Shoes for Happy Kids, Hilton Bucharest

Our supporters at Hilton Bucharest have been supporting children in their local community who have special hearing needs.

The team invited pupils from the school for a delicious pizza cooking class at the hotel. The team noticed that some of the children were wearing old shoes or house slippers, and decided to initiate a team campaign: ‘New shoes for happy kids’, to collect and donate shoes that can keep the children’s feet warm throughout winter. The team started to fundraise and were so successful they were able to buy 35 pairs of shoes. They also bought 120 notebooks, lots of coloured pencils and paint for the children.

February 2016 9dmthomasfoundation.org

On 16 December, Foundation supporters from Hilton London Metropole held their Christmas Charity Ball. It was a truly glamorous evening, with internationally renowned ballroom dancers taking to the floor to wow the guests.

Proceeds from the evening will be used to support children in need of bone marrow transplants. St Mary’s Hospital is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which provides acute and specialist healthcare for a population of nearly two million people in north west London, and beyond.

Guests were welcomed to the ball room with a glass of champagne, and then enjoyed a buffet dinner before the entertainment began. The room was wowed by a fantastic performance from the dancers, and singing from musician Vladimir Kozevnikov.

In total the evening raised a fantastic £1.200 for St Mary’s Hospital. Big thanks go to Akiko Kirihara, Fitness Instructor at Hilton London Metropole, Executive Lounge Manager Shadi Atalla, Inspiration 2 Dance Director and professional dancer Viktoriya Wilton for helping to creat the fantastic event, and to performers Vladimir Kozevnikov, Giulia Settomini, Nuno Sabroso, Paulius Vaskelis, Nauris Kalva, Rashim Becker, Gamze Ozen Inspiration 2 Dance Performance Group, and GL photo Ltd.

In November 2015 the Foundation awarded The Hope Nature Centre in Wiltshire with £6,500 for specialist play equipment. The money will be used toward the provision of a wheelchair-accessible roundabout for physically disabled children that visit the Centre.

Debbie Martindale, the Centre’s Fundraiser, said “On behalf of the trustees, we would like to extend our thanks for your donation to our charity. I’ve attached a couple of photographs of the Hope Nature Centre and some of the adults who have special needs that work here. The photo was taken this morning and show a group of the youngsters saying “Thanks” to you all for the money received! This wonderful donation has now meant that I have been able to book the work to commence next week. So exciting for us! Thank you all so much.”

Hope Nature Garden springs to life

A strictly sensational Ball

Galvin’s Chance founder honoured in British Citizen’s Awards

Congratulations to Fred Sirieix, who was invited to the Palace of Westminster on 28 January to receive a British Citizen’s Award for his work with Galvin’s Chance. Since its commencement in 2009 Fred has been a tireless advocate and fundraiser for Galvin’s Chance, and is always the first to put himself forward in fundraising events like the Mayfair Power and Tower Race and the current Chocs for Chance campaign. He is also seeking new ways to help support young people, and recently created a partnership with HM Prison Isis to run a pop-up restaurant there for young offenders, called The Right Course.

February 2016 10dmthomasfoundation.org

A crafty Christmas corner at Hilton Sofia raises fundsFor many years Hilton Sofia has supported our local partner Rojdestvo Hristovo, whose mission is to help people in need and offer them creative handcraft training and opportunities, in order to earn their living. Every year Foundation supporters at Hilton Sofia organize “Christmas corner” in front of the hotel’s Seasons Restaurant. This is a great spot to exhibit and sell a variety of lovely Christmas crafts, which include Santa Claus dolls made of felt, Christmas trees and decorations, advent calendars and knitted scarves. From 5 December 2015 – 5 January 2016 they made a fantastic 2579.99 BGN (around £1,010) selling the Christmas crafts.

Blackpool Christmas hampers an extra treatOur supporters at Hilton Blackpool made Christmas that little bit more special, for families at Claremont First Step Community Centre. Generous staff donated £500 to fund an 8 week programme which will teach cooking healthy meals, budgeting and learning basic homework abilities. Additionally, they joined together to create festive hampers, for lower-income families in the area. The ten hampers contained toys, sweets, Christmas stockings and other goodies.

Joe Shepherd, Claremont First Step Community Centre told us:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind donation of £500 and the hampers we received before Christmas. The project this will be going towards is extremely valuable in supporting families to become closer and learn new skills. It is support from organisations like yours that enables us to continue our work.”

Donate today and help us change the lives of thousands of disabled, sick or disadvantaged young people. Every young person deserves to reach their full potential. Click on the button below and help us to transform young lives.

Donate now

February 2016 11dmthomasfoundation.org

Dates for your Diary

11/02/2016 Hilton Blackpool Donna’s Dream House Ball

08/03/2016 Hilton Blackpool Charity Music Festival

11/03/2016 Hilton Manchester Airport Annual Legends dinner

07/05/2016 Hilton London Kensington Carnival Ball

18/06/2016 Hilton Brighton Metropole Midsummer Ball

21/07/2016 Hilton Worldwide Procurement Golf Day

08/10/2016 Hilton Manchester Deansgate Star Ball

12/11/2016 Hilton Avisford Park, Arundel Ball

26/11/2016 Foundation Foundation Ball

If you would like to attend any of these events, please visit the events page on our website to book. If you have any other events not shown, do tell us at events@dmtfyp.org.

If you have activities that you would like to be included in the next edition of Highlights please contact us on comms@dmtfyp.org We wish you the best of luck with all of your Foundation activities and thank you for helping us to transform young lives.

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