SDL Car Parts has partnered with the Matthew Good Foundation to launch the Minorfern Foundation - a new initiative that provides grants to small, local charities and community groups across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire.
The foundation was created in 2024 to celebrate SDL Car Parts’ 45th anniversary, with our team nominating the first beneficiaries. Over the past 45 years, we've supported many great causes, and now, through the Minorfern Foundation, we're committed to helping small regional charities that are making a real difference in their communities.
In our first year - and again by the end of 2025 - we aim to donate £40,000 to these inspiring local initiatives.
Please follow the hashtag #MinorfernFoundation on FB to keep up to date.

Pathways Homeless
This vital service for people experiencing homelessness is Chesterfield’s primary centre for those in housing crisis. They provide a wide range of support, including housing advice, specialist nursing, tenancy support, access to essential services like a dentist, peer mentors, and activities and provisions to improve wellbeing. Each year, Pathways supports around 880 people in need, including helping around 280 individuals secure housing, demonstrating their significant
Gussies Pantry
Gussies Pantry, part of Gussies Community in Chesterfield, supports local residents through various initiatives. These include a pantry shop for households facing food insecurity, a café for social meals, a jumble shop recycling items, and free youth activities during school holidays. They also host a yearly community gala and maintain local green spaces, powered by dedicated volunteers.
Elm Foundation Domestic Abuse
The Elm Foundation is a Safelives Accredited charity in Derbyshire dedicated to ending domestic abuse. Their trauma-informed services focus on prevention, crisis, and recovery, offering tailored support to adults, children, and families at risk. They provide refuge accommodation, including spaces for women, men, and those with complex needs, alongside outreach support to help survivors rebuild their lives. Their “Changes” programme supports perpetrators in recognising and changing abusive behaviours, while the “Making Positive Choices” initiative targets early intervention with young people. As part of the Women’s Aid network, they also offer CPD-accredited training to raise awareness and support professionals.
YMCA Barnsley
YMCA Barnsley is a long-standing local charity dedicated to empowering children, young people, and families. They provide safe spaces, engaging activities, and support to help young people belong, contribute, and thrive in their communities. With over 1,300 children supported annually through more than 800 sessions across 10 programmes, they foster potential and community participation. Additionally, they offer affordable facilities for other charities and use their resources to support the homeless and vulnerable
Wildlings
Wildlings is more than a preschool; it’s a way of life that nurtures curiosity, creativity, and resilience. Through both hall-based and outdoor sessions in ancient woodlands, children lead their own learning while skilled educators provide gentle guidance. With a strong focus on play, exploration, and connection to nature, Wildlings fosters independence, confidence, and selfesteem. Offering rich experiences like tool use, sensory play, and forest school activities, Wildlings prepares children for a lifetime of joyful learning.
Treetops Hospice
Treetops Hospice offers compassionate care for adults with life-limiting illnesses and their families across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Their services include end-of-life care, wellbeing programmes, and emotional support. Additionally, the Children’s Therapy Centre provides vital counselling and play therapy for children coping with grief and loss in a safe, nurturing environment. Recently transformed on BBC’s DIY SOS, the centre strengthens Treetops’ mission to bring comfort, hope, and essential support to families during challenging times.
Footprints for Pollie
Just4Children is fundraising to support Pollie, a 13-year-old from Doncaster, born at just 24 weeks and weighing only 1lb 10oz. Despite a bleak prognosis at birth, including diagnoses of Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus, and Epilepsy, Pollie has defied expectations. She can eat, talk, and walk with a specialised frame. To aid her recovery from upcoming major surgery and continue her progress, funds are needed for therapies like physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, and movement therapy. These will help Pollie achieve her goal of living her best, most independent life.
PACT
PACT – Parents Association of Children with Tumours and Leukaemia – provides vital emotional, social, and practical support for families in South Yorkshire who have children fighting cancer. Although survival rates for children’s cancer have improved, the journey remains physically, emotionally, and financially exhausting. PACT, run by parents, offers support through a range of services, including a fivebedroom house near Sheffield Children’s Hospital, holiday accommodations for families, and social support tailored to children of all ages. Their mission is to ease the challenges families face and enhance their quality of life throughout the treatment process.
Forever Stars
Forever Stars is an East Midlands charity supporting families who’ve experienced stillbirth, infant loss, and neonatal death. Founded by Michelle and Richard Daniels after the stillbirth of their daughter Emily in 2013, the charity aims to provide compassionate support and create dedicated spaces for bereaved families. Services include Serenity Suites in hospitals, a remembrance garden, and a community hub offering resources and guidance. Forever Stars ensures families can honour their loss while finding hope and healing.
Ashbourne Animal Welfare
Founded in 1988, this charity operates The Ark Rescue and Rehoming Centre, dedicated to caring for unwanted and stray cats and dogs. Each animal receives loving care, necessary veterinary treatment, and neutering before adoption. The charity also promotes responsible pet ownership to ensure the animals’ long-term well-being. With a commitment to giving pets a second chance, Ashbourne Animal Welfare has rehomed over 9,000 animals to date, transforming countless lives and bringing joy to families.