Doreen Edith Dominy Valiente (1922 – 1999) was an author, poet, and influential English Wiccan who was involved in a number of different early traditions, including Gardnerian Wicca, Cochrane’s Craft, and the Coven of Atho. 

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Doreen was one of the most respected and influential English witches in the modern-day witchcraft movement and is sometimes referred to as the “Mother of Modern Witchcraft.”

 

In 1953 she was initiated into the Gardnerian tradition by its founder, Gerald Gardner. When Doreen became the High Priestess of Gardner's Bricket Wood Coven, she helped him to produce and adapt many important scriptural texts for Wicca, such as The Witches Rune and the Charge of the Goddess, which were incorporated into the early Gardnerian Books of Shadows.

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Doreen Valiente died on 1 September 1999. Her collection of artefacts and manuscripts, including her Books of Shadows, passed to John Belham-Payne (1952–2016). In 2011 John set out to keep the collection together and in public hands, rather than see it dispersed or sold. The Doreen Valiente Foundation was established for that purpose, and was registered as a charitable trust with the Charity Commission in 2018 (registered charity no. 1178528).

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Julia Belham-Payne, Ashley Mortimer, and Brian and Patricia Botham worked with John to set up the Foundation. Rufus Harrington and Professor Ronald Hutton joined the board as trustees once the Foundation had been set up, Professor Hutton later becoming the Foundation's Patron.

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The DVF’s charitable “objects” were declared in the Deed Of Trust as follows:
 

• To protect artefacts which are important to the past, present, and future of pagan religions
   

• To make the artefacts available for education and research
   

The DVF continues to uphold these aims and is working very hard to raise funds to protect and care for its collection, host research visits, present educational talks and lectures, whilst finding a permanent home for the collection.  The DVF believes the “home” will provide a platform for wiccans and witches, researchers and scholars, authors and historians, and the curious, to enjoy the collection now and in the future.