Play2Give - Blog

Another fantastic donation from St Birinus School

3/11/2020

A huge thank you to St Birinus School in Didcot for another fantastic amount donated to Play2Give this week.

We were thrilled to receive £132.98 yesterday donated by the school.

This latest amount was donated as part of a recent Non School Uniform Day which raised over £530 and Play2Give was one of the four charities chosen by the four Houses to all receive a share of the proceeds. Thank you so much to the boys for choosing us as one of them.

It is great to see such superb continued support to Play2Give from our Andy Baker's former school, which for Andy 18 years ago is where his fundraising endeavours for the Oxford Children's Hospital began, as a year 10 schoolboy aged 14 wanting to help raise funds initially towards the building of the children's hospital.

In total St Birinus as a school has helped contribute over £2,560 for Play2Give over many years, and we are sure they will continue to support us to continue to honour the fundraising efforts of Andy as a former pupil.

Thank you to them all!

Another tasty total cooked up by latest cakes bake

3/7/2020

Thank you to the commuters at Didcot station today for another recipe for success in funds.

It was another successful charity cakes sale at Didcot Parkway station today.

Thanks to everyone's generosity from the fabulous donations received for lots of yummy tasty and delicious cakes.

A fantastic £173.50 was collected for Play2Give!

It just shows how much love there is for our amazing fundraising organisation out there amongst our home town of Didcot.

Thank you to everyone who supported and parted so generously with their pennies and pounds including notes to help support our great work in changing, transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire and our huge thanks to all the team at the station for their wonderful and continued support, especially an extra special thank you to Liz in the ticket office.

The next cakes sale for Play2Give at the station will be on Saturday December 12th.

'Superheroes' fly in another superb sum for the children's hospital

3/2/2020

We raised an amazing £4,531 for the youngest of hospital patients throughout 2019, thanks to your help.

Thanks to our local community we were recently able to present a grand cheque to the Oxford Children's Hospital as a result of our fundraising endeavours throughout 2019.

In total across 12 years we have donated close on £65,000 to the Oxford Children's Hospital. At the end of February, we were delighted to have added to our support when Andy Baker along with Andy Williams (head of our Superheroes) and our youngest volunteer, Chloe, 17, visited the hospital to meet with hospital charity representatives and to hand over our gigantic cheque for proceeds raised last year.

Proceeds were raised through activities such as tombolas and raffles, our caped crusaders taking on a 12-hour walk from Didcot to the Children's Hospital last September collecting £580 from generous members of the public to getting soaked in the stocks at the Didcot Summer Fayre and Harwell fete, through to donations raised through yoga classes, a charity 6-hour class-athlon at UTC in Didcot,

What superheroes! We did it! We raised an amazing £4,531 for the Oxford Childrens Hospital in 2019.

Over £480 was raised for the neonatal care areas of the John Radcliffe Hospital last year - Andy and Chloe are pictured presenting Martin, SSNAP charity director, with our grand cheque for the newborn care babies and families

and over £950 was raised through a day of board and table top gaming fun. Andy also assembled his biggest ever OX5 team to take part in the annual five-mile fun run last March, with over £1,500 raised between the heroes.

Andy, a former children's hospital patient, set up Play2Give and with his army of volunteers and supporters has raised over £220,000 over 18 years, for charities. He was initially inspired aged 14 to fundraise as a St Birinus School pupil for the Children's Hospital, before setting up P2G in September 2007, after receiving childhood treatment from birth following a brain injury, and brain surgery aged 12, following a further head injury.

Speaking of our latest donation Joe Baker, spokesperson at the Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: "A great big thank you to all those involved in Play2Give, helping raise an amazing amount for the Oxford Children's Hospital Charity. Your support means we can help fund the latest medical equipment, make the hospital bright and comfortable and fill the hospital with lots of fun things to do for our young patients."

In total last year we raised over £15,000 in funds with the remainder £10k donated out to Headway Oxfordshire, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Footsteps, Soundabout, SSNAP - Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents charity and other good causes locally.
SSNAP received over £480 from endeavours last year, including a 'Heroes and Villains Party' at Partyman World in Oxford last October, which raised £175. Andy spent time in SCBU upon birth, and we have helped raise around £800 across the past two years for the neonatal care charity.

Thousands of gifts estimated at £70,000 in value was raised and given out last Christmas, through our fifth 'Sleigh2Give' initiative, to young hospital patients, young carers in South Oxfordshire, families supported by Home-Start and others in need.

Thank you to everyone who donated, supported and was involved in our fundraising efforts last year and helping us to continue changing, transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire, we are looking forward to another fantastic fundraising year this year.

Play2Give is the Thames Valley Charity of the Year

2/3/2020

Andy with our 'Charity of the Year' Award received at the Thames Valley Business and Community Awards

We have been crowned the region's charity of the year!

Last Thursday (30th January) marked the return of the annual Thames Valley Business and Community Awards in Reading. The glitzy awards ceremony attended by hundreds of guests took place at the Hilton Hotel, which celebrated the region's most ambitious, inspirational and exciting businesses, charities and individuals.

Our founder Andrew Baker went along to the ceremony to represent the entire Play2Give team. He was delighted to have come back with a surprise victory for us as we was in one of the most highly fought categories, the charity of the year. We was in contention with much bigger and more known regional charities.

So, we were delighted on the night, when not only was we announced as being shortlisted with 10 other finalists but crowned as the 'shock' winners of the 'Charity of the Year' gong.

Speaking about the decision to choose us, the judges said: "The work that you are doing on a daily basis is changing , transforming and saving lives locally, with a particular focus on children, health and disability charities!"

Among the winners were entrepreneurs who had innovated unique solutions to the problems they faced, put their heart and soul into making their industry better, overcome personal and professional hardship to triumph in business (such as our very own founder Andrew Baker living life with a brain injury) and more.

This year saw the standard of entrants so high that a record breaking 165 nominees were shortlisted across the 12 award categories. This year winners were from all across the Thames Valley which speaks volumes for the reach of the awards.

The judging panel got together to scrutinise the finalists and select the shortlisted nominees from nearly 500 nominations and the winners among them, and we are delighted to be one of those winners.

Thames Valley based radio presenter and business advisor Mary Flavelle was the awards hostess with the mostest. Mary is the founder of one of the UK's biggest women's networking groups, whilst one of Europe's best Tina Turner impersonators, Tiny Tina Turner and her six-piece band provided fantastic musical entertainment throughout the night. Tina certainly did capture the simply the best moment as she sang throughout the night "You're Simply The Best!"

Guests were motivated by an inspiring keynote speech from British Gold Olympian Naomi Riches MBE. The nominees were motivated to strive for excellence and greatness through this world champion. The awards evening also saw thousands of pounds raised for various charities and not for profit groups.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers, our supporters and our local community who supports, tirelessly helps and gets involved in all that we do in our work as an Oxfordshire fundraising organisation, that enables us to receive such praise and recognition with awards like this, that will only go onto help us become even more successful and grow, helping even more local people and local charities in need.

Find out more about these awards

Play2Give Goes to Parliament!

1/31/2020

Andrew receives his Prime Minister's Points of Light Award from David Johnston MP, outside Palace of Westminster

Earlier this week Play2Give went to Parliament as our founder and inspirational chief, Andy, took a trip to Westminster to receive his honour awarded to him by the Prime Minister.

Andy, together with our Community Officer, Matthew Norris - who nominated Andy and Andy's Mum, Ann, the trio visited London to meet with our local MP, David Johnston OBE. David was delighted to present Andy with his 'Points of Light Award' that was given to him by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, announced earlier this month.

Andrew, centre with his award, with left David Johnston MP for Wantage and David, Matthew and Andrew's mum, Ann

In a personal hand signed letter to Andy, Boris Johnson wrote: "I am lost in admiration for remarkable people like yourself who freely give up their time to improve the lives of others. I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how your fundraising over the past 18 years, in tribute to the treatment you received as a child born with a brain injury, has transformed services at Oxford Children's Hospital and supported causes throughout the county. Your service exemplifies the great British spirit of generosity and philanthropy which brings out the best in us all. On behalf of the whole country, thank you!"

Andy, Matt and Ann were treated to afternoon tea and cake by David in the Parliamentary restaurant before setting off to enjoy the rest of the afternoon to explore Westminster and landmarks including Westminster Abbey, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and they even got to go and see Buckingham Palace from the outside as darkness was creeping in.

Andy was the 1,290th recipient to be honoured with this prestigious award from the Prime Minister, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers from across the United Kingdom.

Congratulations Andrew, and we are delighted to announce that since meeting Andy, David has agreed to become a Patron of Play2Give!

Points of Light: Play2Give - Andrew Baker

Prime Minister's Points of Light Award for Andrew

1/3/2020

We're thrilled to announce that our Founder and CEO, Andrew Baker BCAv, has been awarded a 'Points of Light Award' by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in honour of his work with Play2Give and in tribute to dedicating half of his life to fundraising for good causes.

The Prime Minister's 'Points of Light' honours outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.
The 'Points of Light' award acknowledges volunteers across the United Kingdom who make a difference in society. The awards are administered by the Prime Minister's office, in collaboration with the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS).
Every week day the Prime Minister recognises an inspirational volunteer, and we are delighted that our very own founder has been recognised by Boris Johnson as the 1,290th recipient of this prestigious award.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote to Andrew, saying: "I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how your fundraising over the past 18 years, in tribute to the treatment you received as a child born with a brain injury, has transformed services at Oxford Children's Hospital and supported causes throughout the county."

Finding out about the award win on 23rd December in an email, and the award announced on 3rd January, accepting the award, Andrew said: "I feel incredibly honoured and humbled to have been chosen by the Prime Minister to receive the Points of Light award. It is a true pleasure. Giving back and helping others means a lot to me, for all the care and treatment I have received, it is my way to repay the gift of life so that others less fortunate can benefit. I have worked tirelessly for 18 years to help others and 'Play2Give', which I have proudly founded, has continued to grow, changing and saving countless numbers of people's lives in many ways. I would like to stress that to me this recognition is a 'team effort'. I would like to dedicate this award to the incredible team of volunteers whom I am lucky to work with and that make 'Play2Give' the continued success that it is. I couldn't do what I do without my team and of course without the fantastic supporters within the community who engage with my fundraising so well. This is a perfect way to honour them all and I wholeheartedly thank the Prime Minister for the recognition of such a special honour."

David Johnston, MP for Wantage and Didcot, who took up his post in November, said: "I'm delighted that Andrew Baker's hard work on behalf of many local charities has been recognised. Andrew is an inspiring example of someone who refused to let a disadvantage they were born with hold them back and he has worked tirelessly to give back to his local community, achieving more already than most of us will. It is wonderful that his work has been recognised by the Prime Minister in this way."

Andrew has been invited to receive his award at Parliament later this month, well done Andy - we are all very proud and extremely pleased for you!

You can find out more about the Prime Minister's Points of Light Award here

Andy is the Community Champion of the Year

4/26/2019

The CEO of Soha Housing, Kate Wareing, presents Andy with the 'Community Champion of the Year' Award as voted by a panel of Soha forum representatives out of all award nominees, at Soha's AGM & 'Thank-You' event

Our founder is a community champ!

We are delighted and proud to announce that our wonderful and inspirational founder, Andrew Baker, was awarded at Soha Housing's AGM and Thank-you event this week.

Soha held their AGM on Tuesday evening, and as part of the occasion they also gave time to say 'thank-you' to people who have made exceptional contributions to their local communities in undertaking great things.

Andy was the big winner of the night receiving the overall award for 'Community Champion of the Year', as well as receiving the 'Best Fundraiser' award along with an award for 'Making a Difference', which was also given to many other tenants including fellow Didcot volunteer Courtney Hughes, who runs Secret Santa, which collects gifts year-round for the elderly, homeless and vulnerable.

The Community Champion of the Year Award was chosen by an independent panel out of all award nominees, and we were thrilled that Andy was given the honour, after smashing his £100,000 fundraising milestone last December. Andy has been fundraising tirelessly for local charities since the age of 14, when he began raising money firstly for the Oxford Children's Hospital, at St Birinus School, in 2003.

To date, Andy has raised and donated out over £170,000 to a catalogue of local charities including toys and gifts through his annual 'Sleigh2Give' campaign over the past 17 years, and created Play2Give in 2007. He underwent treatment throughout his childhood for a multitude of health problems, after being born with a brain injury over 30 years ago. He received brain surgery at the age of 12. In 2017, Play2Give opened a single patient room for teenagers in the Children's Hospital and fundraising efforts also helped fund the redevelopment of the Headway Oxfordshire centre, a centre that provides rehabilitation to adults like Andy with brain injuries and helped to equip the county's first neurological physiotherapy gym, based at Headway's site in Kennington.

Play2Give are working towards achieving a £5,000 goal to sponsor a family room within the Ronald McDonald House, currently situated on the top floor of the Children's Hospital. The team have helped to fund the building of a new £14million four-storey 62-bedroom facility which will enable many more families to stay closer to their sick child, including babies in neonatal care. Once the new Ronald McDonald House opens on the John Radcliffe site, which is currently being built, it will be able to expand the number of parents who can stay allowing many more to stay closer nearby.

A huge well done to all the other 'local heroes' who was honoured by Soha for their differences they make to society in their local areas, including some brilliant neighbours honoured, because as the saying goes, everyone needs good neighbours. Each winner shows that Didcot and Oxfordshire in the areas that Soha as a housing association serves are first rate citizens, and we couldn't be more proud of Andy for his unstinting and selfless example of a true community champion that he shows all year round to make a difference to other's people's lives as a way to continually repay his gift of life back.

New fundraising superheroes on the block

3/9/2019

Pssst... have you heard? There's a new group on the block..?

Let us introduce..
The Play2Give Super Heroes!

Very soon a superheroic clan will be around and about in Didcot and surrounding villages and towns armed with buckets in tow in hero guises helping to raise all important funds but also valuable awareness for Play2Give and our charities through their own organised events in partnership with us at P2G as well as getting involved in events and stalls that we run through our own established organisation.

Their first mission impossible (well not impossible exactly as no mission is impossible for superheroes) is the Oxford Mail OX5 RUN at Blenheim Palace on Sunday March 24th which raises thousands of pounds for the Oxford Children's Hospital Charity.
Captain America, Batman, Rey, Lady Captain America, Mr Incredible, Super Girl, Deadpool, Ant-Man, Wonderwoman and Robin are just some of the 19-strong-team who will be out and about at public events including the Harwell Fete in May, Didcot Summer Fayre in August and Didcot Street Fair in November.

Many years ago, the Didcot Thong Rangers was a group that existed to raise money to support families and children in the local area with life limiting conditions through many wonderful fundraising exploits (in just thongs!) Well now our very own new heroic and fully dressed caped group will be coming up with their own cunning brilliant capers to raise super cash for super kids and super causes working in partnership with us at P2G which we are absolutely excited about.

A week tomorrow, March 17th, there will also be a charity collection day at Didcot's Tesco Superstore, where with some of our new-found caped heroes we will be raising funds for Oliver's Footsteps Foundation physiotherapy Fund and Headway Oxfordshire.

Our new Superheroes add to our current group of volunteers making Andy's team bigger than ever with an astonishing stronger than ever team of more than 31 showing that caring really is giving and the love of charity is all around as one.

Changing, transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire is what we strive to achieve all year round and now, with our new team of superheroes on board, we can further strengthen our fundraising objectives, create even more fun, exciting and saving the day fundraising missions, and create even more special and memorable fundraising memories and help even more people in need.

So do look out for our superheroes capes an all. We can't promise you will see them all running down your street in a bolt of thunder with smoke behind like the real comic book Batman and Robin but one thing's for sure they'll be changing, transforming and saving lives as Andy Baker and his amazing team of volunteers have done so amazingly well since 2007.

Watch this space!

Loomstallation unveiled at Oxford Children's Hospital

2/27/2019

Andy and volunteer Ann receive our Certificate of Appreciation from Andrew and Sally Hall, founders of Blue Skye Thinking, with author, Nick Sherratt, left, and children's entertainer Simon.

Our sponsored cog

Play2Give sponsors a cog in interactive art piece at hospital

Earlier this month a special unveiling took place in the Oxford Children's Hospital after a very special little boy, Skye Hall.

The 'Loom to the Moon' art project was funded through the generosity of supporters who donated towards sponsoring an amazing interactive artpiece comprising of cogs filled with loombands that is situated in the entrance of the Children's Hospital atrium making it more welcoming, fun and vibrant for young patients and visitors.

Sadly Skye died aged 5 from a brain tumour, but it was Skye's vision to help other children that resulted in the Loom to the Moon vision, and as a result this amazing interactive art project was officially opened by Skye's parents Sally and Andrew Hall, who lead the charity in his name, Blue Skye Thinking, and his siblings on February 15th in a special unveiling ceremony with sponsors of the project and other special guests.

At Play2Give we was only too happy to sponsor a cog as part of this special project and contribute towards this lasting legacy in Skye's name which will now go on to keep young patients and visitors entertained as they walk into the main entrance of Chox, the cogs turn round and there is also an amazing huge spaceship coin drop machine within the atrium near to Pret Manger which allows people to drop in their spare change towards the Oxford Children's Hospital Charity - all funded by Blue Skye Thinking's 'Loomstallation' appeal.

Andy, and mum and fellow volunteer Ann was delighted to represent all of Play2Give at the unveiling and receive a certificate of appreciation, pictured, as well as see our cog (red) which is also pictured, right.

A truly special piece of artwork for a very truly brave boy whose memory will live on forever, within such an amazing children's hospital, that we at P2G have been proud to contribute towards in both funds and toys over many, many years.

Well done Sally and Andrew you should be very proud, and it was a truly inspiring and heartwarming afternoon. We at P2G are immensely proud to have contributed towards this special lifelong art project. It is just out of this world remarkable. Skye would be very proud.

Read more here

Volunteers celebrate record year for 'Sleigh2Give' campaign

12/21/2018

Left, Andrew 'Elf' Baker with a patient on the oncology ward, and Santa, with just one of the many thousands of gifts donated to this year's 'Sleigh2Give' appeal. Picture credit - Phil Goodall Photography

By Tom Williams - Oxford Mail

Present givers are celebrating a record year after they helped to hand out thousands of gifts to those in need.

The annual Sleigh2Give campaign, organised by Didcot fundraisers Play2Give, has held its biggest ever present drive with up to 6,000 items handed out, and still more to come.

All the gifts were loaded into the back of a Go Green Taxi last weekend and driven to the children's hospital in Headington.

Read full story from the Oxford Mail