Play2Give - Thames Valley Charity of the Year 2020 - Blog

Be a P2G Hero and take the leap of faith

4/24/2022

Skydive for us to support our 15k in 15 Appeal

Be a thrill seeker and skydive for Play2Give this September in our fifteenth year!

You could become a 'P2G Hero' by unleashing yourself into the thrill of a lifetime and ramping up the adrenaline ante by skydiving from 13,000-feet accelerating at 120mph this year to help us in changing, transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire.

By taking part in the most thrill of your lives by jumping out of a plane with organised professionals you will be helping a range of children, health and disability charities including the Children's Hospital, Headway Oxfordshire and SSNAP - Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents.

The skydive, organised by professionals (www.skydive.co.uk) will take place at the Hinton Skydiving Centre on Saturday 17th September *weather dependent* and, if you can't make this date, you can still take part on other dates throughout the year to suit you, so do get in touch.

Registration is just £50.00 which secures your place, and we ask that you try to raise a minimum sponsorship of £400. With the balance of £130 paid on the day, this can be covered by our organisation if you reach the minimum sponsorship target by September 9th.

Play2Give officially turns 15 years old on September 13th so why not be a part of our special milestone celebrations and take the plunge for a great cause and we will be here to support you all the way!

What better way could there be than to celebrate our amazing milestone than by unleashing the inner daredevil in you and gaining some adrenaline and excitement after two years of lockdown times!?

Be a 'P2G Hero' and become a superhero literally to help others less fortunate.

All of our brave and intrepid daredevils will receive a certificate and a medal for your amazing effort.

More Details

Do get in touch with us if you would like to sign up.

An eggscellent record haul of Easter eggs to poorly children

4/11/2022

A record breaking Easter egg collection

We were delighted to receive a total of 439 eggs donated from our generous local community of supporters over the past few weeks.

Today Andy and Matt in our team delivered Easter eggs to some of our beneficiaries who we were delighted to help spread some cheer, joy and smiles to.

Oxford Children's Hospital so all young patients in all the wards including PHDU and the Horton children's ward all have some Easter eggs. The siblings and families in the John Radcliffe Neonatal Care Unit (NCU) via SSNAP, the Oxfordshire Foster Care Association and Barnados Viking House in Oxford.

A huge thank you to everyone that donated to our 2022 Easter Egg Appeal, and for helping to make our second appeal a record breaking one. We smashed our 2020 collection of 200 Easter eggs by more than doubling that this year!

Special thank you's to:

The members and staff of Pure Gym in Didcot
GSF Car Parts Oxford
The staff and customers of Space Store, in Didcot
Helen and Tony, owners of the Horse & Harrow in West Hagbourne
Matthew Norris
and to all who contributed including generous donations financially from individual donors.

We are sure that these eggs will bring some Easter cheer, joy and smiles to the recipients - for example the young patients, their siblings and their parents going through the toughest of times in hospital.

It has been an incredible response this year and a staggering number of donations and we look forward to doing it all again next year, when we hope for another wonderful response from our generous supporters.

St Birinus adds up a super school sum

3/30/2022

A super sum adds up by St Birinus School

When it comes to such superb support, the school where fundraising all began for our founder can be counted on.

Since 2016 St Birinus School in Didcot has really added on the pounds in such fantastic ways for Play2Give to continue the fundraising that our Andy Baker started as a year 10 schoolboy.

Andy, who was a pupil at the school from 2001, embarked upon his fundraising crusade whilst aged 14 to help raise funds for the building of the Oxford Children's Hospital, which was his inspiration. Andy had received treatment at the former Radcliffe Infirmary a few months before he joined the school as a year 9 pupil aged 13. It was his involvement in the launch of the community £15million fundraising campaign by the Oxford Mail in September 2002 that propelled Andy to get St Birinus to support his efforts with a dream of just £500 to give back as a "thank you" for his treatment, to brain surgery aged 12.

That dream turned into £1,000 raised from a non school uniform day on Valentines Day 2003, and he has never looked back since, and nor as the school community as they continue to support our fundraising organisation which Andy founded in September 2007.

Andy inspired and coordinated the school's fundraising activities over a five-year period, which also saw the sixth form carry out endeavours and a year's worth of support from Didcot Girls' School, from 2006 to 2007, where a large part of Andy's A-level studies took place, until he graduated year 13 in August 2007.

Since 2016 the community of St Birinus have continued to raise funds and got behind our mission of changing, transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire. With numerous non-uniform and Christmas jumper days, to cake sales and even donations raised from an It's a Knockout event in July 2017, to pupils and families donating hundreds of toys and presents as part of our annual "Sleigh2Give" festive drive every year, the school in funds alone has raised over £2,560!

On March 25th, Andy was delighted to visit the school, and meet with Will Manning the Headteacher for a celebration of his twenty year milestone in fundraising, and to present the school with a certificate of appreciation. Will also delighted to finally see Andy's MBE in person.

A huge thank you to all at the school for the ongoing wonderful support to Play2Give, and to continue the fundraising legacy that Andy began two decades ago, the support for such an incredible local cause set up by a former St Birinus student who continues to inspire and motivate is really special and the school hopes to help raise funds and be involved in our 15th birthday year of fundraising this year.

Oxford estate agent owner gears up for city run

3/22/2022

Oxford estate agent on the run to raise funds for Play2Give

A huge thank you to one of our newest recruited supporters and owner and director of Waller Estate Agents, Rowan Waller, who is taking on his first fundraiser for us to raise funds for our incredible fundraising organisation this spring.

On Sunday May 8th Rowan will run the inaugural Oxford 10k Town and Gown Run around the city and in doing so helping our mission of changing, transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire.

Rowan is a huge fan of all that we do to help others in our community, and our great work which has been going for nearly fifteen years in age now.

We help, support and raise funds for a number of local causes and this year as mentioned our organisation turns fifteen years old so our big appeal to raise £15k in 15 as part of this commemorative year is on. In this year, we hope to raise at least £5,000 each for Oxford Children's Hospital, Headway Oxfordshire and SSNAP - Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents charities as well as other local causes including Footsteps and Thomley. So Rowan's support and being part of our birthday year is extra special indeed.

An award-winning Thames Valley Charity of the Year we are all about changing, transforming and saving lives with a particular focus on children, health and disability charities.

Over the years we, along with Andy who began fundraising in 2003 to give back to the hospital teams in Oxford who treated and cared for him following a brain injury at birth, have gone on to raise closing in on nearing £400,000 through a wide range of events, the value of gifts and toys raised as part of 'Sleigh2Give' and through individuals like Rowan taking on challenges, runs, head shaves and more.

Running around Oxford's historic and scenic streets, parks and rivers of our beautiful city Rowan also hopes to raise at least £200 and at the time of writing has raised £35.

Read more about Rowan's valiant effort and how to donate

We thank Rowan enormously for his support and for being of our supporters' family here at Play2Give and we think he is a "P2G Hero". We wish him the very best of luck for the big race day.

Charities congratulate our Founder for twenty years of fundraising

2/16/2022

Charities helped by Play2Give congratulate our Founder Andy for his 20 years of support!

We would like to share some of the lovely congratulatory messages that some of the charities we help and support have shared this week as Andy Baker marks twenty years of dedicated fundraising.

The Oxford Children's Hospital (CHOX) has been supported by since our beginnings. We have raised over £85,000 for the hospital since 2007.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail last week, Sarah Vaccari from the Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: "Andrew Baker and the Play2Give team have been huge supporters of the Oxford Children's Hospital. Andy watched the hospital being built while he was a young patient and had an ambition to raise £500 to support our hospital appeal.
"Twenty years on he and the team have raised around £85,000 through their football events, sales, balls and family fun days. It is wonderful support and we are delighted to congratulate Andy on this fantastic milestone."

In May last year at the start of his role as Didcot Mayor, councillor Mocky Khan chose our fundraising organisation to help us raise funds and awareness. So far Mocky's events have included a barn dance, a festive fun run and a coffee morning.

Mocky said: "Andy Baker is a community champion and has become a local legend due to his hard work and fundraising through Play2Give. I am amazed by his commitment and dedication, and passion to help others. When I became Mayor, I wanted to help to raise funds, and help Andy and his team. This is why I chose Play2Give as one my Mayoral charities along with Coeliac UK. I do not know where Andy gets his energy from to arrange and organise so many fun events and to have done this for 20 years is outstanding. Well done Andy, congratulations and keep going!"

We have raised funds for Sobell House since late 2020, with funds of over £1,000 inspired in the memory of our late supporter, Angela Norris, who received palliative end of life care at home in her final weeks, after being diagnosed with stage four small cell lung cancer.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail a spokesperson for the hospice charity said: "At Sobell House we are so grateful to Andy and Play2Give for all the support they have given to the hospice. Andy's kindness and generosity shine through in everything he does. He is such a good friend to so many."

SSNAP, the charity supporting families of sick babies in neonatal care at the John Radcliffe Hospital, said: "SSNAP would like to say a huge thank you to Andy Baker MBE BCAv and his Play2Give team for their incredible support of SSNAP. Over the last ten years, Play2Give has regularly supported SSNAP by fundraising, giving monetary donations and donating gifts for parents and their families on the Neonatal Unit, every Christmas. We really can't thank Andy and play2give enough!"

And finally Headway Oxfordshire, who have benefited from our support both through funds and through gifts over many years. In total nearly £20,000 has been raised for the brain injury charity since Andy became a service user for his own rehabilitation nearly ten years ago.

Charity CEO Jamie Miller said: "The relationship between Andy and Headway Oxfordshire (HWO) is one the defines the very idea of "giving back". In supporting Andy to overcome some of his personal challenges as a consequence of brain injury, Headway Oxfordshire has helped him to gain new skills, improving his resilience and overall independence. We are delighted to see how Andy's confidence has increased as a result and how he has used this confidence to support others through his amazing charitable work with Play2Give. His generosity towards HWO is hugely appreciated. In giving back like this, he has helped those friends he has made at HWO and also created a perfect circle in our relationship. We wish Andy and Play 2 Give all the best with their ongoing endeavours for the future."

It is heart-warming to hear of so many warm messages for Andy's good work as we commemorate his two decades of services to charity. We as a fundraising group also turn fifteen years old this year, in changing transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire and beyond.

So many people's lives young and old and families have been enriched over twenty years, through a passionate founder in Andy who has been dedicated to making a difference and all inspired by his continued repayment of thank you back to the healthcare teams who cared for and treated him since birth.

Andy hits a special two decade milestone in fundraising

2/14/2022

Andy outside the Oxford Children's Hospital that started it all off in 2003. Andy's dream aged 14 to raise £500 for the funding of a brand new children's hospital has turned into over £380k across twenty years later for good causes.

20 Years of Fundraising for Andy

Today marks a special milestone in fundraising for our Founder, Andrew Baker MBE BCAv.

Today, Valentine's Day, is exactly 20 years to the date Andy raised his very first £1,000 for the Oxford Children's Hospital (CHOX), so we want to celebrate his special achievement with you.

On 14th February 2003, Andy raised the first grand for the funding appeal to build the Children's Hospital that stands today.

With a dream to raise just £500 at St Birinus School in Didcot as a way to say "thank you" to the hospital teams who treated him, the Non Uniform Day in year 10 was just the start for the spur of fundraising. Andy galvanised and enthused the support of his fellow pupils and teachers to support his crusade to help make the specialist hospital a reality.

Through a series of imaginative, fun, wacky and everyday fundraising activities at the school, and into the sixth form and beyond including Play2Give's series of football tournaments, a catalogue of events, numerous cake sales, tombolas, raffles and more have all been held.

His relentless dedication, determination and motivation to continue giving back for the doctors who have given him so much of his life back, has resulted in over £380k raised two decades on for a wide number of children, health and disability causes - both through events and the value of Christmas presents raised.

Oxford Hospitals Charity, Headway Oxfordshire, SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents), Footsteps Foundation, Sobell House and many more including countless thousands of individuals and families have all benefited over the years.

Andy's inspiration to raise funds initially whilst in year 10 at St Birinus was the result of treatment received from birth after being born with a brain injury, and more notably the brain surgery on 5th February 2001, aged 12.

Despite living with his disability, Andy refuses to be held back and has remained committed and motivated and has really drawn in the support of the local community, and all those around him - family, friends and the Play2Give team - to help and support over 40 causes, individual families in need and with it, a catalogue of events.

Now, our fundraising organisation prepares to mark our 15th year milestone with an aim to raise £15k in 15 across this year - events planned include the return of our football tournament in July, a colour fun run and a family fun and music on the park day.

Despite all challenges and hurdles healthwise in his life, Andy has never given up. He has dedicated half of his life to fundraising - which has earnt both us and Andy some special awards and recognition along the way, including a British Citizen Award in 2017, the Thames Valley Charity of the Year 2020 and for Andy the the highest honour of them all, an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours 2021.

Here's Andy celebrating his 20 years and £380k milestone outside the Oxford Children's Hospital on 5th February, which coincidentally was 21 years to the date since Andy's brain surgery at the old Radcliffe Infirmary.

In total for CHOX alone we with Andy have accumulated around £85,000 to date, which includes our very own patient room on the teenage ward funded at £40k which treats adolescent patients with long term hospital stays.

What a fantastic achievement!

Pictures courtesy of Sarah Vaccari, Oxford Hospitals Charity

Andrew's special date with royalty

9/20/2021

The stunning Windsor Castle where Andy's investiture for his MBE takes place on October 12th

We are absolutely delighted to announce that our Founder Andy Baker has now received the date for his most special day yet, to attend his investiture ceremony to receive his very prestigious MBE.

Andy, who was named in this year's New Year Honours with an MBE honoured for his services to charity, will attend his date with royalty at Windsor Castle on October 12th.

Andy who in February will mark twenty years of tireless fundraising, after beginning his crusade to give back to Oxford medics for treatment throughout his childhood since birth, notably the brain surgery aged 12 in 2001 being the inspiration behind the start of his fundraising in 2003, initially for the building of the Oxford Children's Hospital, and was made a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, will attend the ceremony with his mum, Ann.

Andy won't find out until the afternoon of his investiture who will be giving the gong, we have heard whispers if it is not Her Majesty The Queen herself, it could be the Princess Royal, Prince of Wales or the Duke of Cambridge themselves.

For Andy attending the luxurious Windsor Castle and receiving his gong after so many months of waiting is very well deserved and we at Play2Give as are all the local community and especially Didcot very proud of Andy for his biggest honour of them all. We look forward to sharing his most special day with you in pictures soon.

Saying thank you to our NHS

7/5/2021

Happy Birthday to our much valued NHS!

Today the NHS is 73 years old.

We pay a special thank you to our national institution, and for everything our healthcare heroes have done over the past 73 years, and even more so during the fight against Coronavirus when they have worked harder than ever in testing times known than ever before.

Supporting our local NHS has been at the heart of our fundraising organisation since we was born in 2007, and in particular the Oxford Children's Hospital which has been our key charity since our inception.

The Oxford Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Sobell House and SSNAP are just amongst some of the local healthcare related causes that we have helped and supported enormously in our 14 years.

All these causes are close to the heart of our Founder Andy Baker. Andy wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the paediatric teams, so for Andy fundraising to give back for his "gift of life" twice over - once upon birth and again at aged 12 - has been his inspiration to give back personally since the age of 14 to our wonderful NHS since 2003.

Andy has not only fundraised to give back but has also been a OUH Volunteer since 2014, working across radiology, Robin's Ward in Chox and more recently in the JR West Wing as a Covid champion volunteer.

As a result as a groups, we haven't half given back in spades to our local NHS, through tirelessly fundraising over the years raising incredible amounts of money, to make real differences to the lives of NHS staff locally at our hospitals and patients as only fundraising pays for the added extras and comforts that help make the hospital environments and stays even brighter.

We have also helped spread cheer joy and smiles to poorly children in hospital and their families through all new toys games and more raised as part of our annual festive "Sleigh2Give" campaign, which was created in 2015 initially as an one off Christmas toy appeal with Sainsbury's Didcot, but since has provided thousands of gifts to children's wards, neonatal care family rooms, siblings of poorly children, the family accommodation at the JR and funds to support the purchase of toys arts and crafts and games all year round for the children's hospital areas.

For example the Children's Hospital that stands today on the JR site wouldn't even exist had nearly £15million raised by the community not been achieved to build the very first specialist paediatric unit, which opened in January 2007.

We at Play2Give and Andy Baker have played an important role in the original campaign to build the hospital funding exercise, and along the way we have also made significant and long lasting impacts to be felt for generations.

In 2017, our very own funded patient room was unveiled within the Children's Hospital. After many years of tirelessly working a £40,000 goal The Play2Give Room was achieved and since being formally opened in 2017 on Melanie's Ward treats teenage patients facing long term hospital stays.

This is just one example of how our dedicated fundraising over so many years has benefited our local NHS for the benefit of young patients and their families but we have done besides so much its hard to put it all into words, but examples include:

£6,000 - cutting edge bedside monitors for every child's bed within the children's hospital, critical care and other children's areas across the hospitals. Raised as part of our 10th year in 2017.
The Play2Give Room, a single patient room for adolescent patients, at £40k on the teenage ward unveiled in 2017.
£564 - 150 thermo cooling mugs to enable parents to stay with their children on the wards while still enjoying a hot drink as respite. 2019.
£900 in 2007 raised from our first football tournament went to Heads Up, a fund at the JR funding research into head and neck cancer treatments in Oxford.
Over £10,000 across 3 years - sponsored a family room (2021) in Play2Give's name within the new Ronald McDonald House Oxford. Enabling families to stay closer to their sick children within a new 62-bed purpose built accommodation wing.
Fundraising partnership with Sainsbury's Didcot in 2016 raised £655 to provide two brand new PS4s with games for the teenage ward at the Children's Hospital
£3,343 raised for the Oxford Paediatric Eye Fund across two years helped fund imaging equipment inc a "RETCAM" used to photograph the retina of infants with a range of eye disorders including cancer of the retina.

Throughout 2020 funds raised for Oxford Hospitals Charity of £356.40 funded their Covid-19 appeal including funding disposable art supplies for the children's hospital, hot meals for ED staff, care packages and cutting edge communications technology for vulnerable patients.

Some of our other ways we have helped....

Funding State of the art equipment for children's critical care

Funding fun & engaging artwork for outpatients

Funded a Pioneering video link for parents with babies in newborn intensive care

Over £600 so far to support the incredible palliative care provided by Sobell House on the Churchill Hospital site for people with life limiting terminal illnesses. Sobell House is another cause close to our organisation as a dedicated supporter Angela Norris passed away last November from terminal stage 4 lung cancer and was so wonderfully cared for at home by Sobell's community palliative care nurses.

£100 - Oxford Cancer Centre Care Fund. Raised via a virtual football card fundraiser, 2020.

Over £1,248 supported the neonatal care areas within the JR Hospital raised for SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents). Andy was a SCBU baby at birth.

And so much more!

Wow, so much achieved and provided to our NHS locally so from everyone at P2G a big thank you to you our community supporters, sponsors and donors, for getting behind our incredible work so that we can help our healthcare heroes in the NHS, as without your help and support and donations we couldn't of given so much of the above and more.

On this day the 73rd birthday of the NHS, a very big thank you and a very Happy Birthday to our NHS, we will continue to do all we can through fundraising to support our local NHS care services in Oxford.

Long live the NHS so a very big Happy 73rd Birthday NHS!

Joining in the love for National Thank You Day

7/4/2021

Today we join in the celebrations for National Thank You Day.

As we prepare to celebrate in 2022 15 years of our amazing fundraising organisation founded in 2007 by Andrew Baker MBE BCAv we extend our hugest of thanks to everyone who has and continues to support us.

To think that P2G was originally meant to be just an one off football tournament for charity set up in 2007, but from that very first 6 a side tournament held at Abingdon's Tilsley Park we have continued to just grow and grow and done so much providing so much and changing transforming and saving tens of thousands of people's lives across Oxfordshire and more wider afield.

Thanks to everyone who has donated the all important pennies and ££s, volunteered their time to help in so many ways, helped to organise events many of which, including our football tournaments, mini festive markets, balls and summer fayres in Didcot have been event institutions in the county, sponsored events, taken on challenges, adopted us as their charity of the years or donated gifts at Christmas as part of our "Sleigh2Give" arm, to much more.

Some of our highlighted and notable aspects of our work:

We have provided over £180k in total value of raised gifts distributed out to many local charities, and less fortunate families and people in need every Christmas, since our festive spin off Sleigh2Give (again meant to be an one off drive with Sainsbury's Didcot) was created in 2015.
Funded at over £40k a single patient room on the teenage ward, treating patients facing long term stays in the Oxford Children's Hospital, unveiled in March 2017.
The Play2Give Superheroes formed in early 2019 to help raise our awareness and funds including their first ever challenge of a 20 plus mile walk from Didcot to the JR in September 2019.
In 2017 we Funded six specialist neuro physiotherapy exercise chairs at the Headway Oxfordshire rehabilitation centre for brain injury service users.
Sponsored a family room in early 2021 in the brand new Ronald McDonald House Oxford after raising over £10k across three years to help fund the new 62-bed House at the JR for families of sick children in hospital.
Our Volunteers of just 3 in 2007 has grown to over 25 to date, ranging in ages from 17 to 70 plus.
Won Thames Valley Charity of the Year at the TVBC Awards, Jan 2020.
Provided £400 in grants to enable struggling families to buy Christmas presents for their children, 2020.
Two Didcot Summer Fayres with the biggest ever turn out in 2018 and 2019.
Sweet treat hamper to thank the amazing staff at Sobell House for working tirelessly to care for the most terminally ill.
Since 2018 Provided year round gifts to SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents) for the family rooms.
Supported over 32 causes in 14 years.
Won the Best Fundraising Innovation & Campaign Award in the Didcot BACAs 2015.
Finalist for Charity of the Year in the Oxfordshire Business Awards 2018.
Sleigh2Give - our annual gift giving appeal - launched in 2015 and has just grown and grown and grown since!
In April 2021 gained our first ever business address and HQ in Abingdon, at The Lambourn. An exciting part of our continued growth and development.
Provided some magical pamper hampers with Marianne Slipper/ELTH to provide some tlc to struggling individuals.
Organised the first Didcot's Got Talent Show in collaboration with the Angels Performing Arts Didcot - a sell out show night at the Cornerstone in 2019.
Since 2020 Providing clothing packages to less privileged families in and around the Didcot area.
Provided over 300 Easter eggs in our first ever Easter appeal with Pure Gym Didcot in 2020 to Didcot foodbank so no child from low income families went without an Easter treat.
Andy opened the new Pure Gym Local in Didcot in November 2019, cutting the ribbon alongside local legend Jack Cummings.
Organised the first and successful Didcot Mini Festive Market in 2020 with the support of Didcot Events.
2 successful sell out black ties in 2017 and 2019, and in March 2021 we hold our third gala Ball.
Andy Baker honoured with a British Citizen Award in 2017 & an MBE for services to charity in the Queen's New Year Honours 2021.
In 2022 we will become 15 years old (in September officially) and 20 years (2 whole decades!) of fundraising for Andy.
And much much more!

These are just a few of our notable achievements in our lifetime, and as we continue all year round to make a very real difference with very huge impacts there are likely to be many more over the years.

From everyone at Play2Give a very BIG THANK YOU and we look forward to your continued support going forward.

We have so much planned for 2022, to mark the two big milestones above, and we hope you will get involved and support wholeheartedly as always!

Just some of the many charities we have helped over the years:

Be Free Young Carers
Didcot Foodbank
Footsteps Foundation
Headway Oxfordshire
Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire & Home-Start Oxford
Markers for Mindfulness
Oxford Hospitals Charity including Oxford Children's Hospital
Paediatric Eye Fund, Oxford
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
Sobell House
Soundabout
SpecialEffect
SSNAP
Style Acre
Angels Apa Off the Streets charity
Viking House, Oxford
£150 towards specialist trike for Jacob Hutchison with cerebral palsy from Didcot.

To all the individuals, volunteers, charities and groups all doing amazing work out there for others with kindness, thank you on this National #Thankyouday.

Volunteers Week 2021: Marvellous Maggie

6/1/2021

Celebrating Our Volunteers as part of Volunteers Week 2021

As part of the week-long nationwide volunteers week celebration programme, we share with you many of our wonderful volunteers and some of our fantastic supporters throughout this month and the first volunteer we shine a spotlight on is Maggie Ingram.

At Play2Give we are so lucky and privileged to have an incredible number of volunteers and Maggie is one of them.

Maggie is also one of our longest serving having first helped in September 2012.

After reading about us in the local Round & About Magazine in which we was asking for volunteers to help with a fundraising evening, Maggie contacted us and after meeting our inspirational Founder Andy Baker she was instantly struck, drawn and instantly enthused and full of awe by Andy's passion and character and back story and she hasn't looked back since.

Come rain or shine whether it be braving the elements in rain, the sweltering heat or the bitter cold Maggie has helped out on more stalls than we can count, be it at the annual Didcot Street Fair or at the Didcot Summer Fayre amongst others.

Maggie also every November without fail (pre-covid) stood in Tesco Didcot Superstore - Community Champions - Becci & Elaine every November to help Andy with our toy and gifts collection for our annual Sleigh2Give Christmas appeal, staying often until 7pm to get the most out of the 3-day sleigh drive

She has also helped to leaflet flyers promoting many of our events through letterboxes on her local estate of Ladygrove in Didcot that she lives, attended many of our events including our Christmas parties on the front desk selling raffle tickets and taking entry money, helped count up money raised and much more. She even let her hair down (and like many of our team deservedly so) at our second charity masquerade ball in September 2019.

Maggie is our oldest volunteer by age (although she is only 50 can you believe 😉) and embodies that no matter what age anyone can volunteer and although Maggie will be modest and not like to be "lime-lighted" like this we felt she deserved a special mention of celebration as part of National Volunteers Week 2021 for her wonderful dedication and support she brings to all that we do.

Maggie remains continually inspired and as she puts it never fails to be amazed by the energy dedication and zest for life that Andy has, and he is the continued reason why Maggie is only too happy to help out his amazing fundraising organisation.

Maggie shows no signs of stopping down, in fact when she is stood for hours on end on her feet on our countless public stalls and we encourage her to take breaks, Maggie will never surrender, and will even eat her packed lunch on duty. What a trooper!

Thank you Maggie you are a P2GHero.

We will continue to celebrate many of our volunteers and many of our fantastic supporters all throughout the week and into June.

We are P2G - changing transforming and saving lives across Oxfordshire.