A £22,000 milestone for Play2Give in year full of fundraising milestones
We are delighted to announce that after a year full of two milestones, our charity has topped £20,000 raised – in the year that our founder marked twenty years of charitable giving.
In February, MBE honoured Andrew Baker, who set up Play2Give in 2007 reached two decades of fundraising – and to mark the milestone he set out to raise a target of £15,000 in the year the charity commemorated fifteen years of ‘changing, transforming and saving lives’ locally.
But now, after an action packed year full of events, numerous tombolas, cake sales, stalls and raffles and individuals taking on sponsored challenges including skydives, fun runs and head shaves, over £22,000 has been raised throughout 2022.
For Andy, after a dream in January 2003 to raise £500 whilst in year 10 at St Birinus School in Didcot has now resulted in over £22,260 raised in 2022 – the year he celebrated twenty years of making a difference to the countless lives of children, health and disability causes across Oxfordshire, and over £430,000 raised in total across almost twenty-one years of dedicated fundraising.
Events in a jam packed milestone year for the charity included the return of our 6 a side summer football tournament after a five year absence, a Hollywood themed gala ball, the third Didcot festive market, ladies night, rock and roll bingo nights and a danceathon among many fun, engaging and exciting community events.
Many local companies made financial donations and a sold-out gig by the band, C U Tuesday, at a Didcot pub just before Christmas added £500.
Councillor Mocky Khan, who was the Mayor of Didcot for a years term until May this year, chose Play2Give as one of his two Mayoral charities helping to contribute to the charity’s record breaking total this year.
Plans are already in place for 2023 including the football tournament, fourth gala ball and its postponed party on the park – a family fayre, an event to celebrate the charity’s 15th year originally scheduled for September until the Queen passed away two days before.