The Ollie Feast TrustNewsletter February 2016

Content:Chairman’s ReportThe Ollie Feast CupCharitable Status UpdateEVENT: Bacon Butties (Saturday 12th March)Mud RunnersOllie Bollocks ChallengePlans for the Year Ahead

Chairman’s ReportIt is almost a year since Ollie died. We have been overwhelmed by all the messages of support and goodwill everyone has sent. Thank you to everyone.

It was clear to us all from the day we buried Ollie at the Woodland Arbory Trust and then the Service of Remembrance at the Leys, that we needed to make sure we established a charity that was true to Ollie’s spirit. Especially his love of life, sport and travel. He was also the champion of the underdog and a friend to many when they were in times of need. So we have set about raising funds to try to help others from less privileged backgrounds to gain experiences - much as Ollie and many of you did – that will in turn will help them to grow and develop through sport, travel and entrepreneurship.

The great news is that we have raised twenty thousand pounds to date. Half of this came from a donation from Ollie’s grandfather and significant amounts were raised through personal initiatives by people like Chris and Linda Reid. The Green Gables Fete raised nearly three thousand pounds and some individual donations were very generous.

More important were the many fun and mischievous activities such as Pru (Wady) and Sam’s mud run (photo below) or the cricket match organised by Pete Learoyd and friends - yet again generously supported by the Leys school. To the many of you that have contributed and worked hard we say thank you – rather than thank everyone here I will say you know who you are.

We have now established the Ollie Feast Trust with a board of directors supported by an advisory group of trustees. The final registration of the trust as a limited company with the Charities Commission is almost complete. Once this is done we will be able to set up Gift Aid.

The Trustees have agreed that the trust will work to support two main activities:

1) Funding and organising summer sports camps for young people, drawn from less privileged communities across Cambridge and Bedford, which provide free cut  access to first class training, facilities, equipment and leadership development and which in turn help develop skills and capabilities of those involved.

2) Funding or match funding bids from local people aged 16-25 or groups to be enabled to travel and develop through sport or community activities that help them grow as individuals – but also help their own or other communities to grow.

We are beginning to now identify and work with local schools so we can make sure we begin to fund people this year. We will seek to establish the summer camps in both Cambridge and Bedford and will be looking for support for them, both practical and financial, once we have made progress. The Trustees will select who will be supported to travel through assessment if bids are made, and through this experience we will more clearly develop funding criteria for the future. We will be asking those who we do support to seek to raise funds for the OFT in the future.

Critical for the Trust’s future will be support for fundraising this year. In this newsletter is a draft set of events we hope to run. Watch the newsletter for future information, as well as our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages which are being set up.

Natty’s mum Nadia (Macari-Brown) has offered to host this year’s Fete and Ollie’s godfather has had some great ideas through the Ollie Bollocks campaign as set out below. Felix (Villiers) has worked up some great T-shirt designs which we will now produce.

Whatever we do, let’s have fun and make sure we really help others to lead the full life that Ollie had. I now have a new job and am pledging ten percent of my pay to the trust. By continuing to raise funds I hope that we can see others smile in the way that Ollie did.

Steve

Birmingham University - the Ollie Feast Charity Cup

I will never forget when I first met Ollie. It was the first game of the season for ‘AFC History’ against a tough Geology side on a wet, windy day in Birmingham. Following the absence of our regular goalkeeper we were anxious to find a replacement. Thankfully, I had received news that a first year was keen to come and play in goal for us and after finding out it was Ollie I invited him to the game.

He strolled over to the pitch with a beaming smile on his face, a cool, calm and collected manner and without any gloves. After introducing Ollie to the team, I wanted to see how much experience Ollie had as a football goal keeper, at which point he told me ‘I’ve never actually played in goal in football before, but I want to give it a go’.

A slight concern came over me, considering the ability of the opposition. However that concern left me instantly, as Ollie made three world class saves, dived at the striker’s feet without a care in the world, and kept a clean sheet as we ran out 3-0 winners. I honestly couldn’t believe what I saw. Ollie went on the

make several appearances for our team, playing as well as he did in that first game.

As a team, we were all shocked and saddened after hearing what had happened to Ollie and we instantly wanted to find a way to remember and commemorate him by. The decision was made, therefore, to create the ‘Ollie Feast Charity Cup’, an annual football match between the University of Birmingham Arts staff and students, raising money for worthy causes in the process.

Last March saw the inaugural ‘Ollie Feast Charity Cup’ take place, with the students running out as 9-1 winners over the staff team, raising over £300 for ‘United Through Sport’, a charity using sport to improve the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This year, the game will be played between the students and a mix of the Arts faculty and alumni, who are enthusiastic to return to Birmingham one more time to commemorate Ollie, showing just how much the event has established itself on the University of Birmingham calendar.

All proceeds will be donated to the ‘Ollie Feast Trust’, raising money for causes that supports Ollie’s interests and passion of pushing to the limit one’s personal capabilities. The event will take place on the University of Birmingham Bournbrook pitches at the end of March, with an exact date to follow shortly.

Everyone is welcome to come to support the teams and remember Ollie and we hope to see you all there!

Matthew Chapman (Birmingham University)Photo: last year’s Ollie Feast Cup

Progress towards Charitable Status

We are delighted that Chris Reid – step father of Adam Booth (a current Trustee) – has joined the proposed directors of the Trust. Chris brings a wealth of financial experience as well as experience helping to set up and advise charities. Initially Chris is leading our application and registration with the Charities Commission as well as registration as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

Bring on the Bacon Butties!

On Saturday 12th March there will be a ceremonial eating of the bacon sandwiches in honour of Ollie’s one and only area of culinary expertise*!

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, wake up, gather your friends and fry yourselves a bacon butty! The breakfast of champions.

The hope is that everybody donates a small amount of money to the Trust to take part (£1-£5) - but mainly to remember Ollie’s favourite things in style and amongst friends!

The Ollie technique: fry some thick back bacon in olive oil, which is heated up thoroughly before adding the bacon (should be able to smell olive oil in the air!) then cook the bacon (being careful not to burn yourself!) and feast on sandwiches with an optional healthy serving of tomato sauce.

*Cooking in the nude not compulsory, vegetarian alternatives are just as good!

The Mud Runners

Huge congratulations & thanks to Pru and Sam (pictured right) who both completed the 5 kilometre Mud Run to raise an amazing £580 for the Ollie Feast Trust!

Thanks again to the both of them and to everybody who donated to support their running.

The Ollie Bollocks Challenge…

Our challenge to you for the rest of the year - whenever you feel inspired do something brave, adventurous or out of the ordinary, wherever you are in the world and whatever it may be - take a photograph of yourself holding a sign as you proudly demonstrate that you too have Ollie Bollocks!

For instance, on Christmas Day Alice (Ollie’s sister) joined in the Hunstanton Christmas Day Swim to raise money for charity. It was very very cold!!

We hope to get the best Ollie Bollocks photos from over the year put together and (with permission!) made into a Calendar for 2017 to raise money for the Trust and celebrate Ollie’s general approach to life!

Post your photos on social media and tag the Trust #olliebollocks

Follow us on Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/theolliefeasttrust/

https://www.facebook.com/theolliefeasttrust/

https://twitter.com/olliefeasttrust/

Plans for the Year Ahead

To give everybody an idea of what we are planning! Dates are still to be confirmed. If anybody is interested in donating/helping/organising/participating or coming up with an event, please contact Tina (Treasurer) by email at tina@doctors.org.uk

12th March - Bacon Butties

Summer (likely a Saturday night in July) - Auction of Promises (Cambridge)

Summer (likely the morning of the Sunday!) - Cricket Tournament at the Leys

Summer - Car Treasure Hunt

Autumn - Pop-up Art Gallery inspired/created by OFT supporters

Winter - Ollie Bollocks Calendar

If anybody has an artistic bent, we would welcome all donations of artwork for the Pop Up Gallery! For more details please email tina@doctors.org.uk

Thanks to everybody for all of your support!

The OFT Trustees