Steve Morgan Foundation pledges £100m to fight social disadvantage and fund type 1 diabetes research

The Steve Morgan Foundation has announced a major new funding commitment, pledging £100 million over the next five years to tackle social disadvantage and accelerate world-leading research into type 1 diabetes.

Set up by entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Morgan in 2001, the foundation has been supporting communities across Merseyside, North Wales, West Cheshire and North Shropshire for nearly 25 years. As it approaches this milestone, it’s rolling out a bold new strategy focused on long-term, sustainable impact.

Steve Morgan said:
“This is a pivotal moment for the foundation. We know communities are struggling – with poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity – and we’re stepping up our support in a big way. By investing £20 million a year for the next five years, we want to back projects that are genuinely changing lives.”

Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation, added:
“We’ve always been rooted in this region, and that commitment is as strong as ever. This isn’t just about funding – it’s about working in partnership to deliver solutions that break cycles of disadvantage and improve lives for good.”

The foundation’s new approach builds on the success of major programmes it’s already helped deliver – like Cradle to Career in North Birkenhead. That initiative has brought together schools, families, and services to improve literacy and life chances for children in one of the region’s most challenged areas. It’s now being expanded to five more communities across the Liverpool City Region.

Another standout example is the foundation’s partnership with Maggie’s cancer support centres. It funded and built the Maggie’s centre in Wirral, and is currently working on a new one in North Wales, with plans for a third in Liverpool. These centres offer vital support for people living with cancer and their families.

In 2022, the Steve Morgan Foundation also made a landmark £50 million donation to the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge – a partnership between Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D. The aim is simple but ambitious: to find a cure. The funding is supporting cutting-edge research across the UK, with the world’s first type 1 diabetes virtual research institute now up and running.

Sally Morgan, trustee of the foundation, said:
“Type 1 diabetes is a cause close to our hearts. We’re proud to be backing research that has the potential to change lives, not just here in the UK but around the world.”

Steve Morgan added:
“I’m incredibly proud of what the foundation has achieved so far. But now it’s time to push even further. This new strategy marks the start of a new chapter – one that will deliver real, lasting change.”

To find out more about the Steve Morgan Foundation and the projects it supports, head to their website.

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