Newsletter 17

Hope you are enjoying your summer, fellow O2e-ers. It’s been an immense time for O2e and there are many, many events and activities to update.  This newsletter documents just a few of the amazing adventures undertaken by you lovely peeps this year so far and with plenty more to come this is going to be a record-breaking year.  Keep up all your good work.  But first a report of some despicable vandalism of Ollie Wade’s carefully poured and levelled concrete foundation for his new swimming pool and hot tub (see the photo below left).  A dodgy Irish geezer seen acting suspiciously in the area, who cannot be named for legal reasons (Lee McGinley), has been questioned and released on police braille.

Everything O2e achieves is made possible by you.

Wadhurst pubs open O2e support with Gin taster

Sue Smith has come up with another beaut!  She and Kev and the rest of the Wadhurst posse have developed a successful partnership with local publican, Sam Maynard.  Sam was so impressed with the ethos and enthusiasm and the wonderfulness of O2e in supporting terminally ill and disabled children that he has committed to a series of fundraising events at each of his two gastropubs – The White Hart in Wadhurst and The Wheel in Burwash. The program kicked off with a terrific, sell-out gin-tasting evening on Friday August 9th, which raised a sensational amount and will continue with a quiz night at The White Hart on XXXXX.  Sue continues: “Well that was a GINtastic night Sam Maynard! An incredible evening of gin and gin-inspired fine food. From the Nettle Gin and beetroot cured salmon bruschetta to the TN5 Wadhurst Gin & Tonic jelly, everyone had an amazing time. Thank you Sam and your fabulous staff, especially Chef Extraordinaire Adam, for making it so special. An incredible £900 from tonight will be going to the O2e children; it will make such a difference to their lives. Thank you everyone. 
The quiz night is already fully booked but we will endeavour to keep you informed of further events in good time to make bookings as the year rolls on.  Sam will be supporting O2e all the way; a discretionary £1 donation has been added to every diner’s bill from August 1st, plus Sam is co-sponsoring the shirts for this September’s London to Paris bike ride.  Sam enthused “we’re really looking forward to working with our customers to support O2e and introduce many more people to the charity and the great work you do for the children.”  Great work Sue and Kev and Sam!

Clockwise from top left: Gin fans tucking in; gin; the fragrant Mrs S; sexy food; revellers; lovely words from Sam; more revellers (including Timbo and Catherine); the charity info sheet (centre)

Source Canal Marathon 3

Emily Blackwell, Nyree Coalter, Stuart Cannon and Dave Piper of Source Supplies (Ollie’s gaff) successfully completed a mammoth overnight, non-stop walk at 5.30am on 25th July for O2e.  This illustrious foursome set off from Hampton Court Palace in the evening and walked overnight along the river and canal to finish 26 miles later at Source HQ in Camberley on the morning of the 26^th.  Amazing event you four, a brilliant job and well done for avoiding all the thunder and lightning.  I hope the extra donuts tasted all the better when you got to work and that the blisters are now fully healed.  Thank you from all at O2e for raising over £900 towards our 2019 target.  Can some kind O2e souls get them to £1,000? Click here or go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emily-blackwell5

DD & Bev’s Choppertastic Adventure

Regular readers will remember this retro bike ride along 127 miles of the Liverpool to Leeds canal in July.  This is a short note to thank the generous sponsors who have nudged us over the £2,000 mark, which is wonderful.  Thank you all, your generosity is an inspiration.  The total includes £550 donated by Frank Illet for his sponsorship raised in 2018 when he and son Ollie completed 2,018 press ups each!!! Brilliant stuff…

Carry on up the Camino passes £9,000

Astonishing update on funds raised by Sponge and the rest of the Camino posse from their event to cycle the 900 miles of the Camino trail in Northern Spain.  Their fundraising has passed the £9,000 mark (incl gift aid) – absolutely fantastic!!!  

Big Kev London to Paris ride – UPDATE

Amazing response – almost 100 cyclists signed up for another massive O2e long distance cycle to Paris, including one Howard Roadnight, who is so old he received a telegram from the Queen last week.    Brilliant work being undertaken by the organisers and support crew; Avril has been tapping away on the computer keys with increasing ferocity (please respond to these emails with your usual alacrity to ensure the support team can make all the arrangements on your behalf).  Fancy dress for the ride is optional, but may offer some mitigation against fines handed out by the notorious Nick John / Sponge kangaroo court, which so very nearly led to my sham conviction a couple of years back on trumped up charges when the real perpetrator (Nira Fulton – name changed) got away scot free.  Please, please, please get your Just Giving pages up and running – this event is so important to us in achieving another terrific return from all your hard work.  And don’t forget to ask your employers about matched funding if you have such a scheme, which would give us double bubble for all your sweat and pain. 
Fancy dress options include the notorious French rugby player Chabal, Elvis (not sure what the connection is with Paris, but hey), Princess Diana (Slatts made me do it), a typical French person (beret, moustache, red wine stain, onions, garlic, stripey t-shirt, stockings, high heels), Napolean Bonaparte or Bjorn of Abba.  Whatever your choice please be safely attired and remember the wearing of helmets is compulsory. 

Sponsor the shirts

The fourteenth in the series is being generously co-sponsored by Sam the Landlord (see below), Sponge (Soundcraft) and INTL FCStone (Big Kev’s employers).  Thank you all for your kind generosity.

BRC Hills Challenge 2019

The 8^th annual BRC Hills Challenge on Sunday 7^th July was yet another stunning success, with a total of 63 riders from far and wide braving the inclement weather (it was chucking down) to conquer a very hilly challenge (there’s a clue in the name).  One couple even managed it on a tandem! Feedback included the exasperated comments “it was a great route but sooooooo hilly” and “it definitely got people out of their comfort zones”.   There was also profuse praise for the organisers who did a great job with the course and with all the admin to provide a challenging and enjoyable day of safe cycling up some very steep hills and celebrating afterwards in true BRC style.  Everyone managed to finish and no one was left behind.  To top it all the event raised £2,526 for the O2e coffers, which is super, super fab.  Well done to all! 
The date for next years’ event has yet to be confirmed, but it would be wonderful to get more O2e peeps involved, either cycling or supporting or indeed just doing a no-rain dance.  Watch this space peeps….

BRC Family Fun and Sports Day

BRC are hosting an afternoon of family fun taking place at Beckenham Rugby Club on Saturday 31st August (ie next weekend!).  The fun starts at 1pm and will include music, games, races, the competitive and combative tug-of-war competition and laughs aplenty.  The bar will be open and the clubs’ new BBQ will be cranked up for the event.  Please contact Chloe at chloegibbs01@hotmail.com if you wish to come along so they can plan numbers. 

Fin SMASHES 100 x 100 park runs for O2e

Fintan O’Regan completed his latest park run in Leeds on Saturday 8th August 100th and in so doing he celebrated park runs in 100 different locations throughout the UK and Europe for O2e.  Fin was clearly emotional after hitting this milestone with his big buddy and running partner Tony Philbin.  He has been running park runs for 4 years building up to this achievement and has run in many places in the UK as well as places as far away as Melbourne, Washington and Vancouver.  Fin, a long time O2e supporter, completed the Dublin marathon for O2e in 2010, following in the footsteps (quite literally) of his mother, a world beating marathon runner in her age group (75+).   In addition, Fin has raised over £1,000 (almost £1,200 with Gift Aid) which is a wonderful achievement.  Well done Finty xx
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fin-o-regan

Keep up the great work and look out for a very special Newsletter later this week with some more spectacular stuff, not least the Goss boys currently cycling Lands End to John O’Groats and a report from Wales on the World Bog Snorkelling Championships with Biff, Matt and DD. Not to mention a 124 hole round of golf, the longest continuous bike ride EVER and updates from Big Beardy luscious Al, Plewsy McPlewsy and Kath Brazier.  Some amazing stuff going on out there in O2e-land you lovely peeps…Lots of love DD.