We’re sending our Business Development Manager, Josh Houlihan, to jail this Wednesday (11th October 2023) for his heinous crimes (entirely fictitious of course!) to support amazing local charity Helen & Douglas House children’s hospice as part of their annual ‘Jail & Bail’ fundraiser.
Helen & Douglas House on Magdalen Road, helps terminally ill children aged 0-18 to live life to the full, providing hospice care for babies and children in Oxford and the surrounding areas in a warm and welcoming environment where families can make the most of their time together and create happy memories during their children’s short lives. The medical and nursing staff provide care at the hospice, at home or at hospital, offering respite and discharge from hospital stays, pain management and end of life care.
The charity opened its doors in November 1982, when Sister Francis Dominica founded Helen House as the world’s first children’s hospice and has since gone on to inspire 54 others across the UK and around the world.
In 2006 Queen Consort Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall, became the charity’s patron and in 2012, Helen & Douglas House was given the Queen’s award for volunteering to acknowledge the amazing contribution of its volunteers. A £1.5m refurbishment in 2014 transformed Helen House by reconfiguring the interior to make it larger, lighter and brighter and a new garden was completed in the summer of 2021, creating a beautiful outside area for families to spend special moments in. Queen consort Camilla visited the new garden and spent time with some of the children and their families.
Josh will be sentenced on 11th October as part of a team of nine ‘guilty’ supporters in the ‘Jail & Bail’ fundraising event. After being escorted by police to the historic Oxford Castle and Prison, he’ll be locked up in prison scrubs with only his mobile and laptop for company, in a race against the clock to raise his bail payment of £999, which will then be donated to Helen & Douglas House.
Josh has this to say about the fundraiser:
“Helen & Douglas House helps local families cope with the challenges of looking after a terminally ill baby or child who will die prematurely.
“It is a homely place for local children living with life-limiting and terminal conditions and their families, providing care in a warm, loving environment. The hospice is filled with laughter, whilst also being a peaceful place where families can create happy memories in their last days, weeks, months or years together.
“Helen & Douglas House is a local charity which needs to raise £4.7m each year to care for local terminally ill children and 90% of that comes from public support. Any contribution you can make will be greatly appreciated – both in terms of supporting such a worthy charity, and in helping me escape the cell block before it’s too late!”
Please visit Josh’s JustGiving page and contribute whatever you can to help Helen & Douglas House continue their amazing work: https://www.justgiving.com/page/josh-houlihan-1695639803560
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