Impact Report - MK Community Foundation - Report - Page 7
“Invaluable knowledge
shared on sleep
which is what I’m
struggling with.”
09
“The group has been
helpful in making me
feel more comfortable
talking about my feelings
and how to control
emotions, etc... Good to
know it is not only me
who feels the way that
I do, and other fathers
also feel the same, or
have other issues which
we can talk about.”
10
Workshop participant
“Loved the breathwork
exercise and content
on anxiety and fatigue,
very informative.”
Helping Women
Navigate Menopause
with Olive Collective
Workshop participant
Supporting Adoptive
and Foster Dads
with Adoption Plus
Service User.
Olive Collective CIC is a dedicated
space for women at all stages
of life, from post-puberty to
post-menopause, o昀昀ering
support and guidance.
Recognising the impact of
hormones on women’s health,
it provides expert advice and
resources to help manage
hormone-related challenges,
from PMS, PCOS, and pregnancy
to menopause and beyond. The
organisation also supports women
undergoing medically induced
menopause due to cancer
treatments or hysterectomy.
Acknowledging the need for accessible
information on menopause, Olive Collective
created a series of workshops on topics like
joint pain, menopause in the workplace, anxiety,
pelvic health, sleep, hot 昀氀ushes, and skin
changes. By partnering with experts in each
昀椀eld, these interactive lunch-and-learn sessions
not only provided specialist talks but also
created a safe space for women to discuss
their symptoms openly.
Olive Collective also realised the need to
engage more women from Southeast Asian
and Caribbean communities. The workshops
have laid the foundation for ongoing education,
helping women feel more informed, empowered,
and better equipped to embrace this new
chapter of their lives.
The Bramwell Fund and Women’s Fund grant
through MK Community Foundation was crucial
in expanding Olive Collective’s reach, ensuring
that more women could access this essential
support. Participants shared how invaluable it
was to feel heard and supported, many learning
for the 昀椀rst time that their long-standing
symptoms were linked to menopause.
Funders:
Bramwell Fund
Women’s Fund
Vital Signs Area:
Health and Wellbeing
11 | MK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
110
women
supported
Adoption Plus is a specialist
therapeutic service
dedicated to supporting
children and families
a昀昀ected by early trauma.
It works with adoptive and
foster families, kinship
carers, and young people
transitioning out of care,
helping them navigate the
lasting e昀昀ects of abuse
and neglect. Its expert
team provides holistic
support, strengthening
families and empowering
individuals to heal.
Recognising a critical gap, Adoption Plus set
out to create a dedicated support group for
fathers, an often-overlooked group in adoption
and fostering. Compared to mums, dads were
signi昀椀cantly underrepresented in support
services, despite also facing immense emotional
challenges. With the help of an MK Community
Foundation grant, Adoption Plus launched a
Father Support Group, allowing the team to hire
skilled facilitators, develop a tailored programme,
and provide a space where fathers could openly
share their experiences.
The response has been unmistakably
transformative, with participants reporting
a profound impact on their mental wellbeing.
Fathers have gained practical strategies to
manage stress, emotional resilience, and a
renewed sense of community with others who
truly understand their journey. The success of
the pilot has reinforced the need for greater
focus on men’s mental health, particularly within
adoptive and foster families, where emotional
demands can be uniquely intense.
Funders:
Cumming Fund
12
David Lock Associates Fund
dads in therapy,
Blairman and Beck Fund
Boswell Mental Health Fund
Margaret Powell Fund
Vital Signs Area:
21
adopted children
bene昀椀ted
Health and Wellbeing
MK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | 12
