Minorfern Foundation closes first year with £40,000 granted to local charities.

The Minorfern Foundation – a charitable project set up by local vehicle parts distributor SDL Minorfern – has wrapped up its first year of charitable giving with a total of £40,000 awarded to small charities across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.

Launched by local family-owned business SDL Minorfern in 2024, the Minorfern Foundation was created to support local charities nominated by staff. Through a partnership with the Matthew Good Foundation, ten charities were selected to receive £4,000 each, ensuring funding reached a broad range of causes close to employees’ hearts.

One of the final grants of the year went to Brinsley Animal Rescue, a volunteer-run charity based in Nottinghamshire. Brinsley provides sanctuary to unwanted or neglected animals, from rabbits and guinea pigs to goats, pigs, and ponies. The charity also runs a busy wildlife hospital that treats hundreds of injured animals every year. With no paid staff and their land and resources donated by the founders, the funding from SDL Minorfern arrived just in time to help the charity to replace their horsebox after it was recently condemned.

Yorkshire’s Brain Tumour Charity (YBTC) also received support, having been nominated by an employee from the Leeds branch. Founded in memory of Yorkshire resident, Andrea Key, YBTC has spent over two decades supporting people across Yorkshire affected by brain tumours, while also funding critical early-stage research. The £4,000 grant is helping researchers move promising ideas forward as they seek additional investment.

Other charities supported through the Minorfern Foundation’s initial round include Walking 4 Hope, The Children’s Hospital Charity, Ben’s Den, Stairfoot Foodbank, Fairplay, Babbington Rescue, Dronfield CFR, and The Howarth Foundation. Each organisation was carefully selected to ensure a diverse spread of support – from children’s health and food poverty to animal welfare and emergency response.

Julie Salter, People & Culture Director at SDL Minorfern reflected on the Foundation’s first year: “This has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve been part of so far at SDL Minorfern. Supporting such a wide range of small charities has been both inspiring and humbling. At times, it was difficult knowing we couldn’t support everyone, but visiting the projects and meeting the courageous and inspiring people behind them reminded me just how much even a small grant can achieve. I’ve been genuinely impressed by the commitment and compassion of the organisations we’ve worked with, and we’re looking forward to continuing to support others in 2025.”

The Minorfern Foundation is run in partnership with the Matthew Good Foundation, whose expertise in connecting businesses with small charities is helping SDL Minorfern maximise the impact of its giving. Kirsty Clark, Executive Director at the Matthew Good Foundation added: “One of the most powerful things about this partnership is seeing the connections between SDL’s people and the local charities they’ve chosen to support. Small charities do incredible work, often under the radar, and by amplifying their voices and connecting them with the resources they need, we’re seeing real impact on the ground. It’s a brilliant example of how business and community can come together.”

Plans are already underway for the 2025/26 rounds, with ten more local charities already selected for an award in the coming year.

The Foundation has released full details of their 2023 giving in their Annual Review, available to read online now at https://www.matthewgoodfoundation.org/annual-reports/minorfern-foundation-annual-review-2024/