How the mind of one extraordinary man impacted the lives of countless others
As we get close to this year’s International Day of Charity (Friday 5th September) we wanted to share a little about a charity that is extremely close to our hearts – The Sanjay Mortimer Foundation.
A uniquely brilliant mind
Our dear friend Sanjay Mortimer was one of the co-founders of E3D who attained legendary status during his short life. Sanjay was a visionary, and his capacity to think unconventionally has driven much of the progress of E3D as well as the wider 3D printing industry.
Sanjay was open about the fact that he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He was also acutely aware of how challenging school and university can be for those with neurodivergences. Neurodivergent minds can think creatively and their capacity to think outside the box can make them excellent problem solvers. They can also be analytical, highly focused and have amazing attention to detail. But in some cases, neurodivergent people struggle in traditional learning environments where rigid curriculums and standardised settings can cause them to become discouraged and disinterested in learning.
How the charity was formed
Soon after Sanjay’s tragic passing in 2021 the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation (SMF) was born. The mission of the foundation is to ‘help those with neurodivergent minds, recognise their strengths and talents, through engineering and making’. The foundation keeps Sanjay’s memory alive, supports the industry he loved and helps those facing similar challenges to Sanjay.
The charity’s mission
The SMF aims to find and assist those with neurodivergent minds to realise their potential through engineering and making. It introduces those individuals to a strength-based way of learning (focusing on an area they genuinely enjoy) which in turn builds their confidence and self-esteem. This approach provides them with an outlet and helps them to realise where their talents lie. The ultimate mission of the charity is to allow these individuals to provide a lasting impact on their chosen industry, just like Sanjay’s legacy.
The charity’s impact
Recognising that neurodiverse talent often faces unique challenges, the foundation provides a helping hand to those passionate about engineering, making, technology and design.
This support can include:
- Funding for specialised courses or training such as CAD lessons
- Resources and equipment such as laptops, 3D printers and filaments
- Mentoring from neurodiversity coaches
- Work experience at E3D
So far the foundation has empowered over 40 individuals (known as ‘SMF Stars’) to grow and thrive in their chosen fields and you can read countless case studies about the real-world impact of the foundation.
The charity’s legacy - the UK’s largest RepRap festival
2023 saw the first-ever Sanjay Mortimer RepRap Festival (SMRRF) – a vibrant event bringing together hobbyists, engineers, educators and trailblazers from the 3D printing community to celebrate creativity and innovation.
The event has gone from strength to strength and is now the UK’s largest RepRap festival! The next one will be held in Manchester on the 7th & 8th March 2026 and promises to be an unmissable weekend full of everything from live demos and family-friendly STEM workshops to captivating interactive displays. It’s also a great place to catch your favourite content creators from all over the world including special guests like Joel Telling, Sam Prentice, Mr. Baddeley, PrashMakes, Grant Posner and many more!
Tickets are available online and all proceeds from the event help support neurodiverse young people in STEM through the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation.
We’d love to get you involved. Here’s how.
If you know of a young person who would benefit from help from the foundation then you can find out more about the application process or keep up to date with everything the charity is doing via their website and social channels.
There are so many ways you can personally help the foundation – from making an individual donation, to volunteering and offering industry placements.