The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation

What The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation does

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is a UK-registered charity (nos. 1158921 in England and Wales, SC052164 in Scotland) and company limited by guarantee (Reg. No. 08863937), founded in 2014 by Fiona Spargo-Mabbs OBE following the death of her son from an accidental drug overdose. It delivers an evidence-based, multi-component drug and alcohol education programme comprising interactive workshops for students in years 7 to 13, teacher training and PSHE-aligned lesson resources, parent and carer awareness workshops, professional training for staff working with young people, a Youth Ambassadors programme for ages 16-18, a Safer Choices programme linked to the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and a touring Theatre in Education production of Mark Wheeller's verbatim play 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die'.

The foundation's service delivery is primarily in-person across schools, colleges, and community groups in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, supplemented by webinars, downloadable substance factsheets, video content, and a webshop selling play scripts. Its technology footprint is conventional: a WordPress-based website, webshop, social media channels, and video/multimedia resources, with no proprietary software platform, API, or AI components disclosed. Content has been independently assessed by the University of Middlesex Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (2019), and the play has held Eduqas GCSE Drama set text status since September 2022.

The foundation's revenue model relies on a mix of individual donations (Friends of the Foundation monthly giving from £10, one-time donations, payroll giving), Big Give campaigns with match funding from People's Postcode Lottery, corporate sponsorship (e.g., Fidelity International), grant income from government and policing bodies (Scottish Government, Police Scotland), and ancillary income from play script sales and the EasyFundraising affiliate scheme. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via email booking ([email protected]) with schools and colleges as the primary institutional channel, alongside awareness-driven engagement through PR, podcasts, and social media.

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

1–10 employees

Short description

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is a UK charity that delivers evidence-based drug and alcohol education to secondary school students, teachers, parents, and professionals across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland through workshops, teacher training, parent programmes, and a touring theatre production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drug and Alcohol Education Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Drug education programs
• Alcohol awareness training
• Substance abuse prevention
• Youth PSHE education
• Theatre in education

Headquarters

HQ city

Purley

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. Donations and Fundraising: Regular donations from Friends of the Foundation (monthly contributions starting at £10), one-time donations, and fundraising events. Payroll giving options available for employees.
2. Big Give Campaigns: Participation in Big Give Small Charity Week with match funding from People's Postcode Lottery, where donations are doubled during campaign periods.
3. Play Script Sales: Sale of play scripts for 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die' from the webshop in sets of 5, 10 or 15 copies, with proceeds supporting DSMF workshops.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate support such as Fidelity International's financial support for the 10-year anniversary performance. Other corporate fundraising through Virgin Money Giving hubs.
5. EasyFundraising: Online retail donations through EasyFundraising platform where over 4,000 retailers donate when supporters shop with them.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Foundation delivers evidence-based, multi-component drug and alcohol education programmes to schools, colleges, parents, teachers, and youth-facing professionals across the UK. Core offerings include interactive student workshops (years 7-13), teacher training and PSHE curriculum resources, parent and carer awareness workshops, professional training for youth workers, and a touring Theatre in Education production of Mark Wheeller's play 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die'. The Foundation is funded through donations, grants, corporate sponsorship, and fundraising campaigns, with no publicly disclosed pricing for workshops.

Product overview

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation operates as a multi-component drug and alcohol education charity offering a coordinated suite of programmes. The core offerings include interactive workshops for students (years 7-13), teacher training and PSHE resources, professional development for staff working with young people, and parent/carer awareness workshops. The Foundation is particularly known for its Theatre in Education programme featuring Mark Wheeller's play 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die', which tours schools across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Additional offerings include the Youth Ambassadors Programme for peer education and the Safer Choices Programme linked to the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The Foundation also produces educational publications including the award-winning 'I Wish I'd Known' book for parents and provides extensive substance factsheets. In 2024, the Foundation launched the Drug Education Forum (DEF), a national initiative to strengthen the sector and advocate for evidence-based standards in drug education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drug Education Forum (DEF): A national forum led by the DSM Foundation that brings together drug education providers, educators and practitioners from across the UK to uphold evidence-based standards and share best practice.
• Safer Choices Programme
• Youth Ambassadors Programme

Products and services

• Interactive Drug and Alcohol Education Workshops Experienced drug educators deliver interactive workshops for students in years 7 to 13 across England and Scotland, focused on evidence-based drug and alcohol education.
• Teacher Training and PSHE Resources Planning and resources for teachers to deliver evidence-based drug and alcohol education lessons and short form-time sessions aligned with PSHE curriculum requirements.
• Professional Training for Staff Working with Young People Training programmes for teachers, school staff, and professionals working with young people on drug and alcohol awareness, including police officers, school nurses, healthcare staff, mentors, coaches, and youth workers.
• Parent and Carer Workshops Drug and alcohol awareness workshops designed for parents and carers to help them support young people in making safer choices.
• Theatre in Education - 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die' Professional touring production of Mark Wheeller's verbatim play telling the story of Daniel Spargo-Mabbs, performed across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as a Theatre in Education programme, with 500+ performances completed.
• Youth Ambassadors Programme Programme to train and support young people aged 16 to 18 to become positive peer influences within their communities and develop skills for life.
• Safer Choices Programme Specialised programme for 14-16 year olds which can be used as a Bronze or Silver Skill for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
• Substance Factsheets Quick guide factsheets covering various substances including alcohol, cannabis, vaping, psychedelics, dissociatives, stimulants, and other depressants for parents and educators.
• 'I Wish I'd Known' Book Award-winning book by Fiona Spargo-Mabbs providing guidance for parents and carers on supporting young people around drugs and alcohol decisions.
• 'Schools, Colleges, Drugs and Decisions' E-book E-book supplement for teachers covering delivering evidence-based drug education and developing effective drug policies in schools and colleges.
• Drug Education Forum (DEF) National initiative led by DSM Foundation bringing together drug education providers and practitioners to uphold evidence-based standards and share best practice across the UK.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of students said workshops provided relevant information; 92% feel more able to make safe choices about drugs and alcohol (2021-22)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Drug Education Forum (DEF) Steering Committee MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2024DEF launched by DSM Foundation with steering committee comprising: Emma Crawshaw (Crew 2000), Nick Hickmott (We Are With You), Charlotte Gordon (KIP Education), Ivan Ezquerra-Romano (Substancy), Helena Conibear (Talk About Trust), Paul North (Volteface), and Arda Ozbuckuku (Neurosight). Advisors include Prof Harry Sumnall, Prof Adam Winstock, Jason Kew and Jamila Boughelaf.
• University of Middlesex Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017The foundation became an Associate of the University of Middlesex DARC in June 2017. From September 2017, their academic team undertook a formative assessment of the foundation's drug and alcohol education programme, published in 2019.
• Wizard TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre in Education company currently undertaking DSM Foundation-commissioned tour of schools in London and the South East with 'I Love You, Mum' play.
• Bloomsbury (Methuen Drama)minorOthersPublished the play 'I Love You, Mum - I Promise I Won't Die' in 2017. Play scripts are also sold through the foundation's webshop at publisher discount rates.
• Oasis Youth Theatre, SouthamptonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal youth theatre company that worked with Mark Wheeller on the very first production of the play in 2016.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hope UK: UK charity delivering drug and alcohol education in schools and communities since 1915; directly comparable mission, school-based workshops, and trained volunteer educator model.
• We Are With You: Major UK charity providing drug and alcohol treatment and education; a Drug Education Forum steering committee member offering overlapping services to young people and families around substance use.
• Mentor UK: UK charity working to prevent drug-related harm among young people through evidence-based programmes and policy advocacy; closely comparable mission and school-and-youth delivery model.
• ADFAM: National UK charity supporting families affected by drugs and alcohol; comparable audience overlap with DSM Foundation's parent/carer segment and policy work in the drug education space.
• KIP Education: UK drug and alcohol education provider working with schools, families and professionals; DEF steering committee member offering directly comparable drug education workshops and training.
• Crew 2000: Scotland-based harm reduction and drug education charity that sits on the Drug Education Forum steering committee alongside DSM Foundation; both deliver drug education directly to young people across the UK.
• Talk About Trust: Alcohol education charity delivering school-based programmes across the UK; DEF steering committee member focused on the same schools-and-young-people segment as DSM Foundation.

Emerging players

• The Amy Winehouse Foundation: UK charity founded in memory of a young person who died from substance-related causes; runs drug, alcohol, and wellbeing programmes for young people, sharing the lived-experience-driven, prevention-focused model.
• Volteface: UK drug policy think tank and DEF steering committee member; complementary role through policy and research rather than direct school delivery, addressing the same substance-use prevention agenda.

Broad incumbents

• Talk to Frank: Long-running UK government-funded drug information service for young people and parents; a much larger, publicly funded incumbent in the same drug education and information category that DSM Foundation operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Daniel Spargo Mabbs Foundation