Great Foundations is administered by the CNWL NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund.

Great Foundations is led by its Director Professor Chris Nester and is committed to openness, transparency and fairness in how we support people with foot health problems and the clinicians and academics who support them. 

Established through a permanent Endowment as the Dr William M. Scholl Unit for Podiatric Development, for more than 30 years we have supported research into children’s foot health, feet affect by arthritis and stroke, and given people with foot health problems a voice. We have supported research projects, post graduate studies by health professionals and seminar series to support evidence based foot health practice.  

Great Foundations relies on its Scientific Committee to consider research project proposals from academics and clinicians at UK Universities, and support work with other research funding charities. Proposals are only considered in response to calls for proposals, are peer reviewed and monitored for progress. Patient and public involvement is an important feature in all the research we fund.  The committee will be seeking new members in 2022. 

In June 2021 we will jointly support a call for proposals on with Diabetes UK. 

We were first established at the London Foot Hospital thanks to a personal donation by Dr William M Scholl. The hospital was one of only a few training establishments for health professionals known as “chiropodists” at the time.  

Whilst foot health services including the Hospital were integrated into the NHS, the Unit remained an independent charity and by funding research projects and PhD studentships the Unit has supported development of academic careers in Podiatry for over 20 years. 

Today the Unit and its fund are administered by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust Charitable Fund (Registered Charity 1082989). The fund has evolved to a national fund that can be accessed by the growing community of foot health clinical, academic and research specialists across the UK. 

In 2019 the Unit delivered the first Foot Health Priority Setting Partnership, where patients and clinicians defined the top ten foot health research priorities for the UK. 

In 2021 we adopted the “Great Foundations” name, inspired by the belief that great foot health makes for great living, and reflecting our changing ambitions for the charity. 

Our impact includes the outcomes of research projects we have funded but also the development of academic and clinical careers in foot health. 

We have funded research at more than 10 UK Universities, supporting some of the UK’s highest profile foot health researchers and the staff within their research teams. 

Research includes:

  • The first UK patient and clinician led Priority Setting Partnership, enabling patients and clinicians to set the future foot health research agenda in the UK.
  • Research into the development of feet and mobility in childhood, the impact of obesity, and understanding how movement problems can develop and be treated in children.
  • Research with parents to investigate what they understand by foot development and good foot health, and how these impact on footwear choices for their children, and access to foot health professionals. 
  • Research into the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on the foot and ankle, and the value of foot orthoses on improving outcomes for patients
  • Research on the lifetime risk factors for developing foot arthritis 
  • Research on the special features of foot skin in adults, and how this develops in young children 
  • Research on foot and ankle problems experienced be people who have had a stroke

 

Please contact Professor Chris Nester, Director, Great Foundations on c.j.nester@salford.ac.uk