Philanthropy
The Foundation
The Parabola Foundation was established to further charitable and cultural projects that will bring benefit to the public. Brief introductions to the charities we support are below.
POVERTY RELIEF FOUNDATION
PRF is a small charity operating in Tanzania concentrating on providing clean water and classrooms for rural communities.
To date PRF has funded the construction of 275 wells & pumps in rural areas of Kagera, Geita, Tarime and Rwinyana regions of Tanzania. 15 new classrooms have been built. Around 500,000 now benefit from clean water and almost 1,400 children are now receiving an education. In 2021 and 2022 a further 16 wells have been constructed and further financial assistance has been provided to women's groups in Kibehe, WAKO, Tarime and Rwinyana.
The main objectives of the PRF are to improve the lives of those who live in poverty by providing funds for the following:
- The installation of wells, water pumps and rain water tanks to provide clean water to communities
- The construction of schools to provide communities with better learning environments
- ‘Revolving Loans’ to groups of women
Clean water for 500,000
BOWEL CANCER RESEARCH
Bowel Cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK. Prevention of bowel cancer and earlier diagnosis are essential to improving outcomes for this disease. The Parabola Foundation is generously supporting life-saving research in the North East of England, led by Newcastle University and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust.
Cottage Hospital Uganda
The Ruwenzori Sculpture Foundation, one of the Parabola Foundation’s initiatives has, from its outset, wanted culture to be an agent of positive development. To this end, both local health and the surrounding environment have been primary concerns alongside the construction and running of an arts complex centred on a Foundry, Gallery, Sculpture Park and Artist Residency programme.
The Ruwenzori Sculpture Foundation are now embarked on the construction of a Cottage Hospital providing 35 beds and associated medical equipment for the local community. This rural population of primarily subsistence farmers have, until now, only had a small clinic (very ably served by Dr Henry White and his team based in Kyemihoko) This new development will bring a world-class facility to a part of the world where medical facilities are few and far between and has galvanised the local community in playing a part in the construction of their future hospital.
RUWENZORI SCULPTURE FOUNDATION
Based in the Ruwenzori Mountains of Uganda, the foundation hosts artist residencies that are designed to cross-fertilise expertise and inspiration. The centre now employs 18 trained people and provides strong bonds with communities by funding roads, access to clean water, a clinic and environmental restoration.
Sculpture to shape a community
Sistema Scotland - BIG NOISE
Sistema Scotland, with 5 years of financial support from Parabola, will begin a new Big Noise programme in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in spring 2022.
Big Noise is a high-quality music education and social change programme, where the symphony orchestra becomes a community which supports children and young people to gain vital life skills such as confidence, resilience, creativity and aspiration.
AURORA ORCHESTRA
Featuring a host of world-class guest artists, this remarkable five-year chamber orchestra series is built around the first complete cycle of Mozart’s 27 piano concertos ever to be staged in concert in the UK. The Parabola Foundation has supported Aurora Orchestra’s residency at Kings Place since 2016.
A world-class chamber orchestra series
KINGS PLACE MUSIC FOUNDATION
We established Kings Place Music Foundation to run the music spaces at Kings Place. offering creative spaces and activities at affordable prices for all. Alongside a rich and busy music and spoken word programme, KPMF nurtures young and up-and-coming music talent and offers vital opportunities to learn and perform, working with fantastically committed partner organisations.
Music for all, photo by Nick White
HAWTHORN PRIMARY SCHOOL
The Parabola Foundation is supporting Hawthorn Primary School in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne; one of the most deprived wards in the country; with its In Harmony programme. This enables every child to learn a musical instrument, with lessons, ensembles and in an orchestra for up to four hours a week.
Enabling music
Hear Me Out (Music in Detention) Update
One of the many charities the Parabola Foundation supports is “Hear Me Out” (formerly Music In Detention).
Hear Me Out takes music-making into UK immigration detention centres to release the words, music and life stories of people held inside. It helps those inside immigration detention centres to express their humanity through music – to air their losses and fears, their hopes, and their dreams. The aim is to help everyone outside hear the music and understand the lives of people trapped inside.
For more information, please visit their website www.hearmeoutmusic.org.uk
HEXHAM BOOK FESTIVAL
Hexham Book Festival is a small and dynamic festival, based in and around Hexham, featuring high profile authors’ talks, a platform for emerging authors, creative writing and poetry workshops, a book stall and related exhibitions. Our aims include encouraging and promoting the written word for people of all ages and abilities, creating and enhancing a positive regional image nationally and internationally while positively contributing to the local economy.
A vehicle for words
Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail
More than 150 statues of the beloved character Oor Wullie will be exhibited around Scotland before being auctioned off to raise money for the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, the world’s biggest fundraising event of its kind. Parabola are proudly sponsoring one of the sculptures. “We are over the moon that Parabola have decided to support us,” says the charity’s project manager Hannah Biddulph. “They have helped us to ensure that our children in the hospital are a child first and a patient second.”
Push The Boat Out
Parabola supported ‘Push the Boat Out’ in delivering creative writing workshops with children at Murrayburn Primary School. The contribution covered 4 creative writing workshops with the children and professional poet Colin McGuire. A class poem with themes ‘Futurism’ and ‘Sci-Fi’ to tie in with the COP26 conference will be showcased in October 2022 at Summerhall in Edinburgh. In June 2022 the children visited their poem which has been translated artistically onto public hoarding at Edinburgh Park, in the civic square of the newly completed commercial building, 1 New Park Square.
Children of Murrayburn Primary School