FoundationHighlightsEdition 94 l August 2016

Summertime fun!

August 2016 2

Director’s Message

Welcome to the August edition of Highlights, our monthly newsletter. I hope

you are reading this on a tropical beach under a palm tree, or if not, at least

away from the office.

This year so far we have already awarded 201 grants totalling £441,189.

These grants have already benefitted 11,656 young people and children

across Europe. 11,656 children whose lives are better thanks to you. Behind

these figures there are many incredible stories of hope and transformation.

One of those stories is Ollie’s, whose life was turned around by a grant made

by the Foundation that provided life-enhancing sailing activities for young

people with special needs, disabilities, and those experiencing hardship and

deprivation. Thanks to the experience he is now able to have a rewarding job

that makes him happy and proud. We let Ollie tell you all about his inspiring

journey in his own words on page 2.

Through our ABLE giving framework our priority is to make a difference through targeted grant support, helping local

and regional community groups and charities across the UK and continental Europe to deliver projects that provide

access to opportunities and improve well-being. The impact that we have through our work with small charities is the

very reason that we exist. To show you the extent of this impact, this month we illustrate our work through four different

projects. Together, we are changing lives.

Raising money to transform young lives can be creative and fun, and this month I was delighted to attend the Kinky

Boots Gala Dinner on 7th June at The Waldorf Hilton. I am extremely grateful to everyone involved in creating such a

wonderful night, which has raised over £25,000 to help disabled and disadvantaged young people. You can read more

about the event on page 12.

This month I was also lucky enough to join the Hilton Supply Management Golf Day, and I was in awe once again of

the enthusiasm and positivity shown by so many different companies. The sun shone on the players and fortunately

only rained once they went in for dinner.

Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank our wonderful volunteers who are busy organising the many

challenges, races and glamorous charity balls that are taking place this summer. A list of these is at the end of the

newsletter and on our website, so please do get in touch if you would like to attend, volunteer, replicate or otherwise

support a Foundation activity. We can assure you that every penny raised really counts. Good luck to all our volunteers

for their upcoming events!

Stay tuned next month, when we will be carrying out our social media campaign #IAmAble. To celebrate our work under our ABLE framework, we will be be asking children and young people to answer a simple question on social

media - because of the Foundation, what are they ABLE to do?

I do hope that you enjoy this edition of Highlights.

Simon Sheehan, Director

August 2016 3

Ollie’s story

In 2015 we provided a £8,280 grant to The Island Trust, a charity that provides life-enhancing sailing

activities for young people with special needs, disabilities, and those experiencing hardship and

deprivation. Ollie is one of the young people whose lives have been transformed by sailing our grant.

This is his story, in his own words:

“When I was twelve years old I was given the opportunity to go sailing. I had absolutely no idea what it would entail, no

idea about who I would be sailing with and no idea what the boat would be like, but none the less I remember being

incredibly excited.

My first trip was a short 3 day hop across the Bristol Channel aboard Tectona, The Island Trust’s 80ft Gaff Ketch.

I remember it incredibly well. The weather was horrendous, and I was too short to see over the wheel, so I had no

choice other than to steer by the compass! I also recall being in total awe of the staff on board - how ‘cool’ their jobs

were and how much I wanted to do it myself when I was older. At the end of the voyage, on the feedback form I circled

‘yes’ to sailing again with The Island Trust, but in all honestly I thought that was the end of the road and that I would

never step foot on a boat again.

However, two months later my father received an email from the Operations Manager asking if I wanted to go to

Plymouth to join the Teenage Sailing Week. As you would expect after such an amazing first trip, I jumped at the

opportunity and went sailing again! I kept on sailing on all the trips I could, and then in 2011, after completing a trip

from Sweden to Plymouth, I decided that I wanted to work in Sail Training.

In 2013 I completed my RYA Day Skipper, which was a foundation block to entering Sail Training. Shortly afterwards, I

saw a job advert for a ‘Cadet’ at Ocean Youth Trust Scotland, the first step to becoming a Yachtmaster.

I’m now just over a year into the training, and I have already achieved both my Coastal Yachtmaster and my

Yachtmaster Offshore. Come next week I shall be doing my STCW in personal and survival techniques, which means

I can become commercially endorsed. I have nearly achieved my aim of becoming a professional sail trainer. Without

this experience I have no idea what I would be doing with my life now. Because of this I found the job that I wanted to

do, and I cannot be thankful enough. I still to this day hope that when I finally become good enough at what I do I can

become one of those ‘cool’ staff members who I was in awe of on my first trip, and at the same time give back what

they gave to me.

Finally, I would like to say thank the Foundation and its supporters for the grant that enabled me to continue sailing

with The Island Trust and turn my life around.”

ABLE

August 2016 4

Donate today and help us to transform young lives Donate now

Farnham Play Centre to get new Sensory Room

The Foundation has provided £30,000 to deliver inclusive play and leisure opportunities for disabled children in the

South East by developing a sensory room in Challengers’ Farnham Play Centre.

The room will aid communication, relaxation and mental well-being for disabled children who attend the play centre.

The children and young people who will use Sensory Room are all disabled, and due to the level of their impairments,

they may miss out on opportunities for play that their peers may take for granted. In over 80% of cases, the children

and young people may also suffer with mental illness or social isolation.

Michael Shepherd, member of the Foundation’s Grants Commitee and General Manager of London Hilton on Park

Lane, visited Challengers in connection with their application and was so impressed with their work he and his team

decided to further support the charity with the Foundation’s local grant funds.

Our grant will be used to refurbish the room and purchase various sensory equipment, which will be used by qualified

Play Workers for engaging the children in play and teaching them about cause and effect, while also improving

communication skills.

Simon Sheehan, Director of DM Thomas Foundation for Young People, said: “We believe that every child should be

ABLE to play in a safe and welcoming environment, no matter what their abilities are. Farnham Play Centre’s

new sensory room will provide disabled children and young people with exciting new experiences that will help

them fulfil their potential, and we are extremely proud to make this possible.”

Laura Sercombe, CEO at Challengers, said: “We cannot thank the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People

enough for this incredible donation. Sensory Rooms and play are vital to the development of all children.

Challengers are thrilled to be able to re furbish and update the area at Farnham and be able to offer a high

ABLE

August 2016 5

Garden joy for Drove Road

Young people at Drove Road residential and short breaks centre can now enjoy the use of play and sensory garden

equipment, thanks to funds raised at our Indian Midsummer Charity Ball at the Hilton Brighton Metropole.

The annual event, which was hosted by the team last month (Saturday 18 June), supported both the Foundation

and Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in

Brighton. The two charities joined forces to fund the outdoor project at Drove Road residential and short breaks centre

in Portslade, funding equipment to enhance a sensory garden experience for the young people to enjoy.

Drove Road Residential and Short Breaks Centre provides accommodation for young people between the ages of 8

and 18, all of whom have differing levels of learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. Our funding has enabled the

Centre to replace the dated garden equipment with functional, physical and sensory play equipment. These items have

provided the young people with an outdoor space for them to explore and disperse their energy in a safe way, whilst

also encouraging interaction with their peers and staff.

Staff from both charities were joined by representatives from the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel and one of the ball’s

generous corporate supporters, the E3 Group, for a visit to Drove Road to see the garden earlier this month. They

met with the team to learn how the equipment is helping young people at the respite centre, and also enjoyed a tour

and talk by Practice Manager Vikki Witham.

Expressing her joy for the project, Vikki said: “Thank you so much for giving us the money for this amazing garden

play equipment - all the young people and staff love it. One of our young people even commented that there’s

now a park at Drove Road! It has made such a difference socially and physically for the young people. We

worked closely with play equipment company Kompan to ensure that all the young people’s sensory needs

would be met when planning the equipment, taking into account that it will be used for hanging, swinging,

climbing, spinning, and would need to be weather proof. Since the equipment has been in use, staff have seen an

increase in how many young people play in the garden at the same time, as they can now all play on a different

piece of equipment without being too close to each other. Having this equipment means that our young people

can access fun and physical play in a safe and quiet environment, at any time during the day.”

ABLE

August 2016 6

Centre 404 celebrates 65th anniversay

On July 14th our charity partner Centre 404 celebrated its 65th anniversary with a delightful Summer Garden Party.

Centre 404 is a fantastic charity based in North London that offers a range of high quality services to assist children

and adults with a learning disability and their family carers.The event was a wonderful celebration of diversity, family

and community; and it was attended by over 200 people including service users, family carers and trustees.

In 2012, the Foundation awarded a £8,500 grant to the centre so they could refurbish their garden with a play surface,

a ramp, a patio and drainage. The work has been completed and everyone was able to enjoy the beautiful new

garden.

Simon Sheehan, director of the Foundation said: “It was a great pleasure to celebrate our local charitity partner

Centre 404’s 65th Aniversary. Together, we have helped many disabled young people be ABLE to have more

fulfilling, independent lives.”

ABLE

August 2016 7

Boost for new playground at the Vale of Evesham School

A project to develop a new playground at an Evesham special needs school has been given a

welcome £5,870.87 cash boost by the Foundation.

The new playground at the special needs school will offer pupils new opportunities for social interaction, exercise and

imaginative and creative play, as well as meeting their sensory needs regardless of their physical abilities.

The project was undertaken after old equipment, which had not been renovated for more than a decade, reached the

end of its life. The grant from the Foundation has paid for a wobble dish,

a key piece of equipment in The Challenge Zone, in the first phase of the

redevelopment. The wobble dish is a specially important piece of play

equipment, as it improves children’s balance, coordination of movements

and readiness to take risks. And as the pictures show, the pupils are really

having fun with it.

Simon Sheehan, director of the Foundation said: “Play is an essential

part of childhood, and every child should have access to it. Vale of

Evesham’s school new playground will provide the students with

exciting new experiences so they are ABLE to fulfil their potential,

and we’re proud to make this possible.”

ABLE

August 2016 8

ABLENine fun activities to do with your kids this summer

Organise a fundraising bake sale

Have a treasure hunt

Enjoy a picnic in the great outdoors

We believe every child and young person should be ABLE to achieve their potential. While school is out, the summer

months provide great opportunities to spend lots of time with children and to encourage them to keep busy and active!

Here are some ideas to fill those long summer days with fun and laughter and create some unforgettable memories.

When the rain holds off, summer gives lots of al fresco options, from

community BBQs to a picnic in the park or at the beach, if you are lucky

enough to be near one. Children love exploring the big outdoors and a picnic

– whether a simple cheese sandwich and flask of juice – or a full on spread

with rug and hamper – is a lovely way to enjoy the season. This summer’s

Around the World in a Day has seen 49 venues across Europe holding

outdoor fundraisers for the Foundation, featuring picnics and snacks to keep

participants going as they went ‘around the world’ running, skipping, walking

and dancing.

A child, flour and a mixing bowl are the ingredients for a messy

and fun morning or afternoon of baking. Why not share the

resulting bread, cakes, biscuits or muffins by setting up a stall to

invite donations to the Foundation and help other children in the

process? Yummy!

Geocaching and Pokemon Go may be the high tech

versions, but a simple treasure hunt around your local

area can keep kids enthralled! Set a series of clues

and tasks (“find a Y shaped twig”, “find a picture

of the Queen”) which will lead children to discover

landmarks in their local area and to a treasure at the

end of the hunt – such as a favourite chocolate bar.

The Foundation has supported lots of youth clubs and

facilities, which offer young people diversionary and

educational activities in their local setting. If you look

carefully there is always something going on in your

area!

August 2016 9

Get cycling

ABLE

Go for a walk in the woods

A walk in the woods is a treat for a child of any age.

Bug trails, sticks, flowers, trees and wildlife is all

there to be discovered. Spending time outdoors

is the best way of teaching children to appreciate

and enjoy nature. A recent Foundation grant

nominated by Hilton London Gatwick Airport

was to Sussex Wildlife Trust to purchase new kit

including an iPad to help with wildlife surveys around

the leafy county.

What better way to explore the environment with

young people and bring out your inner child than by

bicycle, a hugely popular mode of transport for all ages,

from tricycles and tandems to high-end carbon fibre

racing bikes! The Foundation has supported various

projects helping young people to access the freedom

of movement and joy that cycling can provide, including

Let Us Play in Wolverhampton for its Monday night

cycling club for young people with disabilities.

Visit your local library

Your local library is packed with children’s books,

magazines and DVDs that you can borrow – for

free! There are often free storytelling and nursery

rhyme sessions aimed at babies, toddlers and

older children. With our focus on education, the

Foundation has supported libraries across the

region, including those that lend toys, resources in

hospitals and hospices; and we have bought books

for schools and specialist colleges.

August 2016 10

Water wings at the ready for little ones, or giant slides

for fearless older kids, your local pool or lido offers a

fantastic way to keep cool while having fun and being

active. The Foundation has supported various projects

to enable children with disabilities have regular access to

swimming and the amazing health benefits it provides.

Pictured, a girl enjoys a swimming session through

RNIB, which now incorporates our project partner since

2008, Action for Blind People.

Splash around in the local lido

Attend a community event

Attend an event such as a street fair, family fun day,

open air concert or village fete. Local community

events are often free and a great way to meet

and mix with other families. Many family fun days

are done in support of a charity, so it’s a great

way of spending time outdoors as a family while

contributing to a good cause. Keep an eye on

noticeboards and social media for the chance to

take part in a fun event near you.

Choo choo! Take a look at special offers ahead of time

and you can head by train or bus to a city weekend,

or the beach, or even to another country. Take a pin

and choose a destination at random and then work out

your public transport journey together! The Foundation

has funded journeys of a different kind, helping young

people who have been caught in a downward spiral of

unemployment, substance abuse or family breakdown to

enrol on personal development journeys by learning new

skills and developing trust, most recently with a grant to

Venture Scotland.

ABLE

Get a train or bus to somewhere new

We hope this list has given you some inspiration. Don’t forget, experts tell us that ‘being bored’ is an important part of

childhood, encouraging imaginations to flourish as well as patience and a chance for contemplation.

August 2016 11

A trek to Everest

Robert Prendergast, Executive Head Chef at The Waldorf Hilton, is embarking on an epic trek up to Mount

Everest’s Base Camp in aid of the Foundation.

What inspired you to take on this epic challenge?

It may sound silly, but although I am not a great hill walker or explorer, the opportunity to visit Everest base camp and

have the experience of a lifetime was a bit more compelling than a two week stint on a beach. But luckily I already

went to the beach in January in Colombia!

How did you become a Foundation supporter?

Working for Hilton has given me the chance to assist the Foundation by

cooking for its charity events, and it has been a great privilege. A few years

ago I was fortunate enough to meet Dame Maureen in person and listen to

her passionate belief in the Foundation’s work in improving the lives of young

people and children. Sharing the same values made me become a supporter

right away, and since then I have tried to help the Foundation in any way I can.

How are you training for the trek?

For the trek I am planning to curb my carbohydrate intake and eliminate high

trans fats, saturated fats and sugar from my diet. For the physical side of it I

will do cardiovascular and core training. I also plan to do a lot of cycling with

increasing weights packs on my back, plus some rambling around the Kent

countryside where I live.

Have you ever done anything similar?

A few years ago I climbed Kilimanjaro, again more as something different to

do for myself. It was an amazing accomplishment because I had a mental block that I would fail but I wanted to defy it

and I did. So I have used that life lesson when I’m feeling challenged or when I feel like stopping or not even starting.

What’s your biggest fear about the trek?

To be honest I haven’t really thought about it, I am one of those people who will wait until the day before and worry

about it then, but I can’t imagine anything will go wrong. If I think about it too much now I won’t do it! I know it’s just a

long walk but I can’t imagine going home early.

What are you most looking forward to about the trek?

This really will sound silly, but I am very much looking forward to taking a selfie with one of Earth’s wonders, Mount

Everest, in the background. It should look pretty cool on the wall at home!

What would you say to other supporters inspired to follow in your footsteps?

To anyone contemplating doing it I would have to ask they why they haven’t already, there is nothing to fear but fear

itself, and all it is is a long walk with an opportunity to meet and share experiences with like-minded people, discover

new cultures and get a cracking selfie.

To help Robert reach his fundraising target please click here.

Spotlight

August 2016 12

Kinky Boots Gala Dinner

On July 7 we held our Kinky Boots Gala Dinner at the fabulous five star The Waldorf Hilton. The aim of the night

was to raise funds for the Foundation’s work to improve the lives of young people and children with a disability. The

event also benefited the hotel’s nominated local charity partner KIDS.

It was a fantastic night and big fundraising success, as more than £25,000 was raised. During the night, guests

enjoyed a champagne and canapes reception before watching the West-end hit and award winning musical Kinky

Boots. The Gala ended with a superb dinner and a fun auction in which guests had the opportunity to bid for

wonderful prizes like Breakfast at Tiffany’s theatre package, an exclusive Alexander McQueen bag and becoming a

named character in David Mitchell’s next book. The night also featured a gift

tree (in the picture above), where guests could try their to win great prizes,

from hotel nights to theatre tickets.

Simon Vincent, Foundation Champion and President EMEA for Hilton

Worldwide, said: “DM Thomas Foundation for Young People, of which I

am proud to be Chairman, supports disadvantaged young people across

Europe. Our focus is on what children and young people are ABLE to

achieve, given the right support. The Foundation’s partnership with our

corporate supporters enables over £1 million to be annually awarded

to provide equipment, training, clubs and facilities as well as care. This

wouldn’t be possible without their generosity. Every penny that we raise

by events such as tonight’s will make a big difference to the young people

that we help.”

Events

August 2016 13

Golf with a cause

With the poise and grace of true champions, golfers took to the greens at Hilton Puckrup Hall on July 21 for the

annual Supply Management Golf Tournament, practising their best swings in support of the Foundation. After golfing

the day away at the course, the guests enjoyed a drinks reception and a gala dinner with live entertainment, which

raised even more funds thanks to a raffle and an auction full of fantastic prizes.

Simon Sheehan, Director of the Foundation, said: “The Foundation greatly benefits from the support of the

Supply Management team at Hilton Worldwide, the team at Hilton Puckrup Hall as well as their network of

contacts. They support the Foundation so much and we are so grateful for their enthusiasm and generosity.”

Paul Anderson, Commercial Director of Hoshizaki Gram UK Ltd, said: “Thank you for organising such a great

Golf Tournament. My team had a fantastic day and are delighted to support the Foundation. We look forward

to next years’ event and to help raise more funds for such a worthy cause.”

Thanks to all those who played including teams from: 383 Project Ltd, AB InBev UK Ltd, Amer Sports UK Ltd,

Becketts Foods Ltd, Bibendum Wine Ltd, Brake Bros Ltd, Bunzl Catering Supplies, Central Facilities Group Ltd, Coca

Cola Enterprises, Diversey Ltd, Ecolab Customer Service Centre, Electrolux Professional, Fairfax Meadow Europe

Ltd, Gram UK Ltd, Harvey & Brockless, Hilton Worldwide, Intros Hotel Supplies, Matthew Clark, Minibar Systems

Worldwide, Office Depot UK Ltd, OMD, Pernod Ricard Headquarters, R Twining & Co Ltd, Seafood Holdings Ltd,

Servest Group, Sysco Guest Supply Europe and The United Fresh Consortium. Pictures of the day can be seen here.

Events

August 2016 14

Your news“Happy Feet” for a healthier world

On July 17 a 5 hour LESMILLS fundraising

fitness festival was hosted in central London

at the elegant Cafe de Paris. The event,

called ‘Happy Feet’ and sponsored by

Reebok, featured some of the most popular

LESMILLS classes and instructors.

The day was a big success, managing to

raise over £5,000 for Les Mills Fund for

Children, our donor advised fund that helps

children in the UK live a healthier lifestyle.

Hannah Taylor, LESMILLS instrutor and

main organiser of the event said: “Thank

you to everyone who came to the event

and donated, you really are helping

us make a massive impact on these

childrens’ lives.”

August 2016 15

Baking for the Foundation

The Group Sales Team at the Glasgow Hilton

Worldwide Area Office at Cadogan Square

showed off their culinary skills last week for the

Foundation. The team sold raffle tickets for a sweetie

hamper and star baker Natalie Malinowski sold lots of

homemade cakes - well done team!

Linsey Joy, Group Sales Supervisor, said: “It was

a fun week within the office with lots of fun

activities takiing place. We are proud to support

the Foundation and all the fantastic work they do

for young people..”

Volunteering at POP Brixton

Hilton Worldwide team members Pierre, Patrick

and Navine had a fun and rewarding day on July

19 volunteering at POP Brixton, a community

project devoted to championing local enterprise,

inspiring creativity and helping the local community by

providing space, support and time. They helped with

a variety of jobs like gardening, and met with local

charities such as Bounce Back, which provides

training and employment opportunities for ex-

offenders.

At the Foundation we believe everybody should have

the opportunity to involve themselves in charity work

– be it through skills-sharing, fundraising, volunteering

or in-kind giving. For this reason, it an absolute

pleasure for us to be able to facilitate volunteering

opportunities for our corporate partners such as this

one.

Patrick said: “We had an absolutely amazing time

at POP Brixton. From a warm welcome to the

many meetings we had with such an amazing

variety of individuals all driven by great creativity,

business acumen and aspiration to do the right

thing. It was all (and even more) than we hoped

for: fun, educative, aspirational and energizing.”

Your news

August 2016 16

Dates for your Diary

26 August Doubletree by Hilton Dublin End of Summer Ball

26-28 August Hilton Nuremberg International Soccer Cup

8 September Hilton Belfast and Templepatrick Foundation Golf Day

11 September DM Thomas Foundation London to Brighton Cycle Challenge

16 September Waldorf Astoria Rome Cavalieri Foundation Ball

30 September Hilton Bath City Once Upon a Time Charity Ball

7 October Hilton Glasgow Mardi Gras Foundation Ball

8 October Hilton Manchester Deansgate Star Ball

21 October Hilton Cardiff Cardiff Ball

29 October Hilton Liverpool Liverpool Star Ball

12 November Hilton Avisford Park, Arundel Hollywood Glamour Ball

22 November Hilton Blackpool Children’s Charity Dance Festival

26 November DM Thomas Foundation Foundation Ball

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

Thanks to our corporate partnersHere are just a few of the fantastic organistaions who have given their generous support to our events and campaigns. For a full list please click here.

Pledge your support for the Foundation

There are lots of ways you can support us - from holding a bake sale, running a race, holding a Black Tie event

or selling our Ducks for Change. Make a pledge today and help us to transform young lives. For your own

pledge sheet please contact Samiya at samiya.rashid@dmtfyp.org or call +44 (0) 207 605 7642