Friends & Partners

We specialise in technology that can improve and enrich the lives of disabled people.

We carefully research both existing and developing digital technologies in order to deliver services that can increase the level of independence for disabled people.

SpecialEffect is a charity based in the UK created in 2007. It specialises in helping physically disabled people play video games. The organization works with developers to create specialised game control devices as well as make their games more accessible. This includes bespoke controllers, using inputs from any part of the body that can move, such as small toe movements or the player's gaze.

The ability to play video games, now seen as an almost universal pastime, can help improve the mental health of disabled people who otherwise could not play them.

Fairy Bricks has one very simple objective. To give LEGO to children in hospital. When we tell people that they often pause before they respond, anticipating for us to say something else but that really is it. Our charitable aim is very simple and straightforward, and as a charity we act in a very similar way.

From humble beginnings and a single hospital donation in 2012, we now aim to deliver LEGO to over 200 hospitals throughout the UK and 26 other countries per year.

Play is a vital part of the recovery process when children are in hospital. It provides comfort, distraction and is even used as an educational tool by Play Specialists to assist children with procedures they have to endure. LEGO itself as a product is perfect for this. It is an item many children are already familiar with and can provide an instant escape at a very difficult time. Then by it’s very nature when tomorrow comes it can be rebuilt to help the same child with something else or move to another child to start the process all over again.

Children learn through play. Opportunities to develop creativity and ingenuity at an early age are crucial for intellectual development. Building toys like Lego are a great way to foster the critical thinking skills that Africa’s next generation needs. Unfortunately, many African children don’t have any toys at all and lack the learning tools they need to reach their potential.

Meanwhile, homes across North America are cluttered with stuff. Lego bricks are hard to get rid of. They can’t be recycled. Thrift stores often send them to landfills unless they are in complete sets.

We seek out used Lego bricks and partner with trusted organizations to hand deliver them to educational environments in Uganda, Kenya, and Botswana. There, the Lego bricks sharpen the minds of students through creative play.

Saphires Promise is a british charity raising awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and providing support to families of babies taken to soon. The money they raise goes towards providing expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offering emotional support for bereaved families