Matt Hampson Foundation

The Matt Hampson Foundation, established in 2011 by former England rugby player Matt Hampson OBE—who was paralysed during training in 2005—exists to inspire and support young people aged 16-45 seriously injured through competitive sport, embodying the 'Get Busy Living' philosophy of resilience, peer support, and positive adaptation. Rooted in lived experience, it provides advice, relief, treatment, rehabilitation, and community integration for those with life-changing sporting injuries, extending to families and occasionally others with serious physical disabilities that align with its expertise. Its distinctive approach centres on a peer-driven network, empowerment through capabilities, and the purpose-built Get Busy Living Centre in Leicestershire, a hub for physiotherapy, adaptive training, mental health support, equipment grants, residential stays, and social connection.

The Foundation funds interventions promoting independence, wellbeing, and quality of life, including specialist physiotherapy, adaptive equipment (e.g., wheelchairs, fitness gear), mental health advice, advocacy, financial aid, and access to its facilities. Beneficiaries are primarily young athletes from sports like rugby, hockey, and motorsport, with support encompassing physical/mental rehab, peer mentoring, and family adjustment programmes to foster mutual aid cycles.

Eligible applicants are UK individuals aged 45 and under with sport-related catastrophic injuries or professional sportspersons; UK-registered charities receive invitation-only support if highly aligned with rehabilitation or adapted sport, with no strict income limits but preference for smaller entities. Grants typically range £1,000-£10,000. Individuals apply via online form on a rolling basis with no deadlines—submitting personal/medical details, sporting background, and needs—while trustee decisions occur as received. It excludes non-sporting injuries without strong fit, prioritising relational, person-centred aid over broad charity funding, differentiated by founder expertise, high-profile sports ambassadors, and its unique clinical-social hub enabling purposeful post-injury lives UK-wide.