A philanthropist has made another record donation to a UK charity, the second to have been announced in recent weeks.
The Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) announced last week that it had received the largest donation in its 40-year history from global investor, philanthropist and entrepreneur Dale W. Wood.
This came weeks after mental health charity Mind announced at the start of February that Wood had pledged $10m (around £7.5m) to support its work over the next decade – the single largest donation in the charity’s 80-year history.
ROH said the “transformative pledge” of £1m, made through Wood’s Dubai-based venture capital firm Dale Ventures, would “help power our ambitious mission to beat osteoporosis”.
The charity, established in 1986, said: “This extraordinary support represents one of the most meaningful private investments in UK bone health, enabling us to strengthen early diagnosis, expand and enhance our support services, and help prevent thousands of avoidable fractures in the years ahead.”
ROS donation will be ‘powerful catalyst’
ROS, which received just over £5m in donations and legacies in 2024, said it will use Wood’s donation “to launch new initiatives to improve early diagnosis, prevention and widen access to high‑quality treatment and care”.
This will include investing in AI and digital tools to make support easier to access, and using the funding to identify and warn people at greater risk of fractures, notably those from deprived areas.
Craig Jones, the charity’s chief executive, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Dale for recognising the scale of the opportunity to transform bone health in the UK.
“Dale’s gift will be a powerful catalyst in accelerating and expanding our work nationwide.
“Today, two‑thirds of people with osteoporosis are missing out on safe, effective medication, leaving them vulnerable to fractures which can steal their independence and threaten their lives.
“With Dale’s help, we’ll give tens of thousands of people back their lives and their futures.”
A spokesperson for Dale Ventures said: “It’s a huge honour for Dale to support the ROS this year.
“Dale’s ambition is that, by working together, we can enable new developments and innovations that strengthen the support and care available to people affected by osteoporosis and raise awareness of this ‘silent’ condition across the nation.
“We know that his gift will support the delivery of much‑needed help, guidance and reassurance for those living with osteoporosis and thoroughly deserving of the best treatment and care possible.”
