The Brun Bear Foundation

Registered charity The Brun Bear Foundation is the result of Riviera’s Executive Editor and Head of Business Relations, Edwin Lampert’s, dedication to honouring the promise he made to his father while undergoing radiotherapy for brain cancer. The treatment led Edwin’s father to believe he and his family lived with two kindly bears – Brunhilfer and Brunfin, the Foundation’s namesakes – and he sought Edwin’s promise that he would look after these bears “when the time came.

 

When his father sadly passed away in 2014, Edwin set about creating a charitable foundation that would honour both his father’s memory and the values he held most dear. Since then, The Brun Bear Foundation has raised and donated thousands of pounds to numerous projects and causes in the fields of medical research, community projects and, in keeping with the promise he made to his father, animal welfare with a special emphasis on bears.

 

Staffed entirely by volunteers, The Brun Bear Foundation continues to work tirelessly in supporting new and existing causes and projects, whilst upholding and promoting its inclusive ethos and vision, as well as hopefully, in some small way, helping Edwin look after his father’s bears.

 

To date, The Brun Bear Foundation has donated thousands of pounds to a mix of local, medical and animal welfare charities. 

 

Locally it has …

 

• Provided funding for a Community Fit Bus
• Delivered health and wellbeing events
• Funded theatre experiences for every child under five in Lewisham
• Supported the beautification of parks, play areas and communal spaces 
• Delivered children’s book readings in the community for all
• Offered work experience and mentoring to local students

 

Medically…

 

• Funded research into better and kinder treatments for children with Leukaemia
• Purchased an incubator for a hospital in Uganda.
• Supplied more than 8,000 Wellbeing Wallets for expectant mothers at Lewisham Hospital and Princess Royal.
• Supported early pregnancy information evenings and maternity education (mothers and midwives).
• Funded awards in support of unsung heroes on the maternity front line

 

Animal welfare…

 

• Provision of food and medical supplies for bears as well as CCTV at a sanctuary that keeps the bears in and the poachers out
• Purchased a Centrifuge for the China Bear Rescue Centre in Chengdu
• Co-founded The Wild Bear Award which supports the use of technology in bear conservation.

 

Student Awards...

 

The Brun Bear Foundation offers The Simon Shades Award Programme. This is an annual, merit-based competition which supports a talented student during their studies and has at its heart a project-based elements that allows the candidate to have a meaningful experience that is personally and professionally rewarding.

 

The Causes

 

Proceeds from the event will go directly towards supporting:

 

The OSCAR Campaign - The OSCAR campaign (The Ocean and Shipping Community Advancing Children’s Health and Research) is an innovative fundraising partnership uniting the international shipping community to raise funds at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (ICH).

 

One Hand One Dream - One Hand One Dream is a campaign to fund a pioneering prosthetic hand for Lewisham lad Harry Enright, who was born without his left hand. Harry is an inspiring young man who has two dreams: to become a champion horse racing jockey - and he is well on his way - and to inspire other young, aspiring athletes, that a prosthetic is no barrier to achieving all of their dreams.

 

Animal Welfare Projects including The WildBear Award as well as marine conservation initiatives.