Our story so far...

It all began with two bears...

Sadly, Edwin's Dad had Brain Cancer. The radiotherapy his father went through resulted in his father believing that the family lived with two kindly bears called Brunhilfer and Brunfin.

Edwin's Dad - who has good insight into his condition - asked his son to look after his bears for him "when the time came."

When his Dad died in 2014 Edwin set about creating a charitable foundation as a way of honouring his father's memory and values as well as supporting causes he had held dear: medical research, community projects in the London Boroughs of Bromley and Lewisham, and animal welfare - with special emphasis on bears.

And so The Brun Bear Foundation was born. It's name deriving from the name of his father 's two bears: Brunhilfer and Brunfin.

Edwin's first act was to write a children's book about two kindly bears who lived with a kindly man and his wife. A second book - Trouble at The Zoo - followed and both books will be made available in different languages. Childrens' books and education became the first of The Brun Bear Foundation's fundraising streams.

Cultural and community events, supper clubs and pop up restaurants and epic challenges were subsequently added and they have been joined by two bold new initiatives: MotherBear! and BAME Birthing With Colour. 

MotherBear! launched in 2018 as a one day event for 'Mother Bears' their cubs, family and friends! It had its second outing in 2019 and is being developed into a fuller brand.

BAME Birthing With Colour launched in 2020 BAME Birthing With Colour an initiative that highlights maternity issues facing the BAME communities.

Activities include monthly webinars and an annual conference.

To date The Brun Bear Foundation has distributed thousands of pounds to a mix of community, medical and animal welfare causes via its grant making programmes.The organisation has also launched a scholarship and bursary programme to complement these activities.  

The Brun Bear Foundation is staffed entirely by volunteers who work hard to support the charity's chosen causes, uphold its inclusive ethos and maybe, in some small way, help Edwin look after his father's bears too.

Here you can learn more about who we are and what we do. Everyone's invited!