Website Statement

It is with immense sadness and regret that we inform you that Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) will commence a wind down programme from 11th November 2025.

This process is expected to take 28 days to allow time for alternative placements to be found for residential clients at our Care and Rehabilitation Centre, and to honour commitments to other clients to the best extent possible.

At the end of this period, QEF intends to file for administration.

We have worked tirelessly over the last year to try and save the charity, exploring numerous options to improve its finances, but unfortunately there wasn’t a viable solution that met all the necessary requirements to overcome the challenging financial situation QEF faced.

It has been our privilege to support disabled people for over 90 years, providing expert services that have changed many lives, and we are deeply saddened that it cannot continue.

Our priorities right now are to work with funding bodies to ensure clients find suitable alternative placements and to support our remarkable staff during this difficult time.

Other

Expert from QEF joins Heathrow Access Advisory Group

Accessible aviation expert, Graham Race from QEF has joined the Heathrow Access Advisory Group (HAAG).

For some, flying with a disability is a daunting prospect and as a result people with disabilities only make up a small percentage of the total number of air passengers in the UK. Recently, a report from the CAA found that of the 260 million passengers that flew in and out the UK in 2016, only 3.1 million passengers used special assistance services. This makes up only 1.52% of all passengers, suggesting barriers for people with disabilities remain.

Following this report, Heathrow has taken proactive steps to transform its services; establishing the HAAG and investing £23 million in an improved contract with their Special Assistance partner Omniserve. Special Assistance Services are a legal requirement for all UK airports and cover everything from car parking to moving through security, boarding the plane and transferring a passenger to their seat.

Graham Race runs QEF’s Tryb4uFly service, helping people with disabilities to access air travel with confidence. This service provides free information to people thinking about flying with a disability, as well as enabling people to experience the challenges of air travel; such as boarding, wheelchair transfer and seating; in a safe and realistic aircraft cabin setting.

In joining HAAG Graham joins some of the leading experts in this field who are all working to achieve the objective of helping to make Heathrow the leading airport in the world for accessibility and inclusion. HAAG will look to bring a consumer perspective to all aspects of Heathrow’s decision-making and planning processes, and QEF will contribute expertise in this area.

Roberto Castiglioni, chairman of the Heathrow Access Advisory Group said:

“The HAAG’s vision is to improve the passenger’s journey by keeping accessibility and inclusion at the forefront of thinking. In this view, I am delighted Graham Race from QEF accepted the invite to join the Group. Graham’s unparalleled experience in helping people living with disabling conditions gain access to air travel is a true asset for the HAAG.”