Last month I had the opportunity to attend the BBC Radio Oxford Make a Difference Awards with my colleague Jane who is a Communications Officer at the Charity.

The awards showcase the amazing things local people in our communities achieve,  it was such a privilege to be there representing the charity.

It was held at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford and hosted by BBC’s Sophie Law. We learned about how every nominee has made a difference in some way to communities across Oxfordshire. It was great to be there to celebrate this with nominees and guests. 

This was the third year for the Make a Difference awards, and the winners were chosen by a panel of Judges who apparently said it was the most difficult selection yet. I have no idea how they managed to choose between all the nominees! 

This year, we were asked to attend the awards in support of our little fundraiser, four-year-old Freddie.

 

Earlier in the year, Freddie’s Grampy was receiving care for cancer at the Churchill Hospital, and this determined little boy wanted to do something to help him and other patients Just like his Grampy. He had just learnt to ride his bike, aged just three, and quickly became a bit of a pro. So Freddie took on the challenge of cycling 100 miles in March in aid of his Grampy’s hospital, raising nearly £4,000. – Read Freddies Story here.

Freddie was nominated for the Bravery Award. He has been very brave navigating life as a now four-year-old, still riding his bike and learning new things – most of all dealing with his dear grampies cancer treatment, who has since passed away.

Freddie was a runner up and all nominees went home with a beautiful award -  which we learned Freddie put under his pillow that night. It’s a massive achievement to have been nominated, and I am so glad we could celebrate this with him and all the nominees. 

 

We were so proud of him -  walking the red carpet and dancing away - he definitely won best red carpet strut if you ask me!

 

Congratulations to all the nominees, including the winner of the Bravery Award,  Samantha Cowley, and our thanks to all at the BBC who organised the event.

 

It was so inspiring - nothing makes you feel pride for your local community more than hearing the incredible stories of people and communities making a true difference in your home town. 

 

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the audience celebrating our local community; the only thing I would do differently is to bring a pack of tissues!

---

Meet Lorna.

I’m one of the Supporter Care assistants; I joined in July 2022 after a background in retail and customer service.

I have always loved supporting charity; I knew I had to seize the opportunity and apply as soon as I saw the position available. For me, it was a no-brainer.

My siblings and I were born in the John Radcliffe Hospital, and all at one point received treatment here at our local hospitals.

My role at the charity is so varied. To put a face to the name, I am one of the people you will be greeted by when calling the charity's phone line or the website's live chat.

To be part of the incredible difference that Oxford Hospitals charity has achieved with the support of our volunteers, NHS staff and donors has been and continues to be an honour.   

---

Would you like to hear more about our work across your local hospitals?

Why not sign up to hear more.

Click here