MATT HAMPSON FOUNDATION: A YEAR IN REVIEW 2023
This has been an incredible year for the Foundation, and we are already excited to see what 2024 has in store.
Thank-you to everyone who has supported the Foundation over the past 12 months and to all of our beneficiaries, staff, trustees and ambassadors who play such an important part in allowing the Matt Hampson Foundation to support as many young people as possible after serious injury.
There are scores of individual highlights in the year, here are just a few of our favourites:
- Popular beneficiary experience days including water-skiing, go-karting, cross-country biking, flying and track day,
- Taylor travelling to Marseille to meet with his former Leicester Tigers team-mates before England’s first game in the Rugby World Cup
- Holly completing the triathlon in which her husband Colin sustained his injury five years ago and raising funds for the Foundation along the way
- Gez completing 5km walking out of her chair, helping her to start being able to walk out in the countryside with her dogs again
- Josh completing the Great North Run in a record time for a wheelchair user
- Beneficiaries Loz, Jacob, Jean and both Wills all returning to work during the year
- The Little Big Things, the story of Henry Fraser, reaching the West End stage and being part of the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall
- Olli playing the famous Brabazon course at The Belfry in a Paragolfer then winning a wheelchair event in Mallorca on his first competitive trip abroad
- Welcoming one of Foundation’s first beneficiaries, Ben Lei’a, for a two-week stay in our lodges on a rare trip from Samoa
- Noah doing well enough in his first season racing Citroen C1 cars to be given a place in Team BRIT’s 500-horsepower BMW M240i
- Will Ruane being crowned British champion in para-climbing
- George Robinson’s inclusion in the Disability Power 100
- Physical trainer Sutty being named Inspirational Influencer at a national awards ceremony
- The release of a film focusing on trustee Juian Evans and his ascent of Mount Everest in support of the Foundation
- Launch of our first regional hub in Newcastle Upon Tyne to reach more beneficiaries
- Beneficiaries and staff completing high-profile events including the London Marathon, Great North Run, Vitality 10K, London Landmarks 10K
- Physio Tilly’s Surf and Turf 100-mile challenge in Colwick Park, Nottingham.
- Walk4Matt’s return after a 10-year absence, covering 100 miles on the route of the Warwickshire Ring Canal
- The Foundation’s first Get Busy Cycling Day
- Delivery of the Leadership and Development Team’s second annual Corporate Games over two days in June.
- The second annual Get Busy Living Awards ceremony, hosted by Leicester Tigers
- Launch of a new website reflecting the Foundation’s work and creating a better online experience for people looking for support or wanting to support what we do.
- Expansion into new social media territory with accounts on TikTok and Snapchat.
- Hosting more than 230 counselling sessions with beneficiaries and their families as well as 240 yoga sessions alongside monthly nutritional advice and quarterly orthotic clinics
- Introduction of the Athlete Development Programme.
- Hydrotherapy sessions to provide opportunities to work on a beneficiary’s ability to access a pool in preparation for holidays or swimming challenges, and using the many benefits that water brings to work on improving tone, range of movement and reducing pain.
- The lodges have been in use nearly every weekend since April 2023, allowing us to offer intensive rehabilitation packages to beneficiaries staying with us.
- Support of the next generation of physiotherapists and sports therapists through welcoming work experience students and work with the University of Leicester to provide official placements to physiotherapy students.
- Marquee events at the Get Busy Living Centre, including the Corporate Games and leadership days with a number of schools, boosting awareness of the Foundation as well as training in resilience, wellbeing, diversity and inclusion.
- The new Life Goals Committee discussed how to further support beneficiaries in goals including returning to work, relationships, travelling or finding a new purpose.
- The fundraising team enjoyed a strong year with large number of enquiries from supporters wanting to take on physical challenges for the Foundation and the events team hosted some spectacular golf days, shooting days and dinners alongside the most successful Summer Ball yet.
Now 2024 dawns as another big year for the Foundation and, with Matt turning 40 before its close, there are a number of major targets, including extending the Get Busy Centre to provide support and inspiration for even more beneficiaries seriously injured through sporting activity.
