Learn about our vision,
mission, and founding story
A world in which children grow up and thrive in safe and loving families.
Underpinning the work of the Foundation are a set of core values.
CARING,
COURAGEOUS,
CURIOUS,
CREATIVE,
COLLABORATIVE,
CANDID &
COMMITTED.
Who We Are
We are an international foundation with a global network of charitable organisations working with a shared vision of a world in which children grow up and thrive in safe and loving families.
Through our work, we strive to bring an end to institutional care for children, including orphanages, by engaging in family strengthening work and gatekeeping to prevent family separation, reunification and reintegration of children back into their families and communities when possible and facilitating family based alternative care when it is necessary. We are also committed to supporting young people to thrive while realising their full potential.
Our Founding Story
Martin James Foundation comprises not-for-profit organisations around the world established and brought together by our Founders, Ayyab and Martin James (Jim) Cockburn. Ayyab and Jim’s extensive experience in delivering children’s services and commitment to championing children’s rights inspired them to establish the Foundation in 2018.
The roots of the Foundation extend back further, seeding over 30 years ago when Jim, a social worker and entrepreneur, embarked upon a journey to provide innovative foster care services in the UK. By 2005, his endeavours had begun expanding to Ireland, Australia, Finland, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and the USA, forming what became known as Key Assets. Over the past 20 years, Key Assets teams have supported over 40,000 children and young people, predominately through delivering foster care services as well as kinship care support and family strengthening.
Building on this extensive experience and knowledge, Martin James Foundation was founded with the goal to improve the lives of children and families across the globe. Our charitable activities include partnering with local organisations in countries where the use of institutional care, such as orphanages, means that children are separated from their families. Through our partnerships, we contribute financial and technical assistance that supports the development of systems that enable family-based care solutions instead.
In the UK, our EPIC programme supports young people who have faced adversity or have lived experience of care, empowering them to create and launch their own businesses.
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I felt the time was right to build on the skills and expertise we had already developed with Key Assets, FosterTalk and other capacity building projects, to support and enable more communities around the world to promote and deliver family-based care for the most vulnerable children.
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Jim Cockburn, MJF Co-Founder and Chairman
Our Team, Trustees & Volunteers
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The Martin James Foundation is particularly close to my heart because our wider experience in the children services sector means we can create effective partnerships and utilise our resources and skills to create a safer, happier world for some of the most vulnerable children around the world.
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