The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation

What The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation does

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is a UK-registered charity (CCEW 1158921; OSCR SC052164) and company limited by guarantee founded in 2014 by Tim and Fiona Spargo-Mabbs following the death of their 16-year-old son Daniel from an accidental ecstasy overdose. Headquartered in Croydon, the foundation delivers an evidence-based, multi-component drug and alcohol education programme to young people aged 11-18, teachers, parents, and workplaces across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Its core offerings are interactive workshops for students in years 7-13, teacher training and PSHE-aligned planning resources, parent/carer awareness sessions, a Youth Ambassadors programme for 16-18 year olds, a Duke of Edinburgh-accredited Safer Choices programme for 14-16 year olds, and a touring Theatre in Education production of Mark Wheeller's verbatim play 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die'. Services are delivered in-person and via live-streaming by experienced drug educators, with no public pricing — programmes are funded through donations, grants, and partnerships rather than fees.

Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic and fundraising channels: a recurring 'Friends of the Foundation' subscription at £10 per month, Payroll Giving, corporate partnerships (including People's Postcode Lottery, Artemis Charitable Foundation, and Benefact Group), sponsored community events, and affiliate giving via Easyfundraising and Virgin Money Giving. The foundation also benefits from matched funding through Big Give campaigns. With approximately 15 employees, it operates as a small charity with a board of trustees and an advisory group, and founder Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE remains its Director and Nominated Safeguarding Person following her 2022 OBE for services to young people.

Name

The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation

Legal name

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation

Website

https://dsmfoundation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is a UK-registered charity that delivers evidence-based drug and alcohol education workshops, teacher training, parent workshops, and touring theatre productions to schools, young people, parents, and workplaces across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug and Alcohol Education Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Child and Youth Services (62411), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Drug education programs
• Youth substance prevention
• PSHE curriculum support
• Charity education services
• Workplace drug awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Croydon, Surrey

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Regular Donations (Friends of the Foundation): Monthly donations from individuals (£10/month) who become 'Friends of the Foundation' and receive priority access to events, newsletters, and thank you gifts.
2. Payroll Giving: Tax-free donations deducted directly from gross salary, with employers offering match funding. £10 donation costs £8 (basic rate), £6 (higher rate), or £5.50 (additional rate).
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with companies for workplace drug education programmes, sponsorship, and corporate fundraising. Includes sessions for young employees (18-25) and line managers.
4. Sponsored Challenges and Events: Community fundraising through marathons, swimming events, and other sponsored activities.
5. Easyfundraising: Retailer donations generated when supporters shop online through the Easyfundraising platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation is a UK-based registered charity that delivers drug and alcohol education and prevention programs to young people, parents, teachers, and workplaces. Founded in 2014 following the death of 16-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from an accidental MDMA overdose, the foundation offers age-appropriate, evidence-based interventions including direct workshops in schools and colleges, parent information sessions, teacher training, workplace awareness sessions, and a verbatim theatre piece performed for students. The charity operates as a company limited by guarantee and is funded primarily through donations, corporate partnerships, payroll giving, and grants.

Product overview

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation offers a multi-component drug and alcohol education programme centered on evidence-based delivery rather than a technology product. The portfolio includes interactive workshops for students (Years 7-13), teacher planning resources and professional training, parent/carer awareness sessions, the Theatre in Education programme featuring the verbatim play 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die', a Youth Ambassadors Programme for peer education, the Safer Choices Programme (accredited for Duke of Edinburgh Awards), and a Workplace Programme for corporate clients. These services are delivered directly by experienced educators rather than through a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Drug and Alcohol Education Programme
• College and University Drug Education Programme
• Parent Workshops and Information Sessions
• Teacher Training
• Workplace Drug and Alcohol Education Sessions
• I Love You, Mum, I Promise I Won't Die — Verbatim Theatre Piece
• Online Information Resources
• Fundraising and Awareness Events

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Talk to FrankminorOthersUK government drug information site run by Public Health England, recommended as a resource for young people. Provides A-Z of substances, videos, case studies, and live webchat.
• DrinkawareminorOthersIndependent UK-wide alcohol education charity partnered with to help reduce alcohol-related harm. Listed as a resource for parents.
• Know the ScoreminorOthersScottish government drug information service, recommended alongside Talk to Frank for comprehensive coverage. Provides downloadable booklets for parents.
• DrugfamminorOthersSupport organisation for families affected by loved ones' addiction. Listed as a resource with helpline (0300 888 3853, 7 days a week 9am-9pm).
• Virgin Money GivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlatform used to set up corporate fundraising hubs for workplace fundraising campaigns on behalf of the foundation.
• EasyfundraisingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail donation platform where over 4,000 retailers donate to the foundation when supporters shop online. Includes John Lewis, Sainsbury's, M&S, eBay, Argos, Apple.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Amy Winehouse Foundation: UK charity set up in memory of Amy Winehouse that delivers drug, alcohol and resilience education to young people in schools through assemblies, workshops and recovery programmes; very similar mission, audience and school-channel delivery to DSMF.
• Mentor UK: UK charity dedicated to alcohol and drug education for young people, providing evidence-based programmes, teacher training and resources to schools — directly overlapping with DSMF's core mission and UK school delivery model.
• Alcohol Education Trust: UK charity providing evidence-based alcohol education resources and workshops for young people, parents and teachers, closely comparable to DSMF in target audience, prevention focus and school-based delivery.
• DrugFAM: UK charity providing support to families and friends affected by someone else's drug or alcohol use, including a helpline and resources; referenced by DSMF as a partner and overlaps in audience of families impacted by substance use.
• Drinkaware: UK-wide alcohol education charity providing independent information, tools and resources to reduce alcohol-related harm, including programmes for parents and young people; listed as a partner and directly comparable in alcohol-education mission.

Broad incumbents

• Catch22: UK social business delivering education, training and young people's services including prevention work; comparable as an education-linked UK non-profit working with vulnerable young people and schools.
• YoungMinds: UK charity focused on children and young people's mental health, providing resources, training and parental support; comparable in youth well-being mission and education-linked NGO positioning, though broader than substance use alone.
• The Prince's Trust: Large UK youth charity supporting 11-30 year olds with education, training and wellbeing programmes; comparable in youth-focused UK non-profit delivery and employer-engagement model, including Duke of Edinburgh Award connections.
• Talk to Frank: UK government-funded drug information service for young people providing an A-Z of substances, webchat, and educational resources; comparable to DSMF as a youth drug information/education resource listed on its partner page.
• WithYou (formerly Addaction): Major UK charity providing substance use treatment, recovery and prevention services across the country, including young people's services and school-based drug education; broadly overlapping with DSMF's prevention work but operating at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/danielspargomabbsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/danielspargomabbsfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/dsmfoundation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation