On Friday the 28th of October over the half-term break the Kings Oxford Charity Committee organised a hike around the south Oxfordshire countryside raising money for Maggie’s, a local cancer care charity. Local Marketing Producer, Cordelia Cross, tells us about the experience.
We set off from our St. Michaels campus in the city centre after a substantial lunch to keep us going, many of us wearing our orange Maggie’s t-shirts kindly given to us by the charity. It was a fantastic afternoon the sun was shining for us for most of the afternoon which ensured spirits were kept high as well as a speaker to keep up morale.
Our route took us through beautiful open countryside landscapes including various nature reserves: Hinksey Park, Hartcourt Wood and the Hinksey Heights Nature Trail all of which added tremendously to the hike. We walked along Oxford’s picturesque waterways across the unique ‘Devil's Backbone' bridge and into nearby South Hinksey Village. We encountered lots of wildlife throughout our walk, which was beautiful, including cattle, Suffolk sheep, horses, geese, and a range of birds of prey.
We had regular check-ins to see how the gofundme page was progressing in the hope that we would reach our group target of £700 before the end of the walk. It was when we’d finished the hike and reached our 10km goal waiting in Chawley to get the bus back into the city centre that we discovered we’d smashed our target! Since Friday we have raised over £830, a massive achievement for the school. Huge congratulations to the Charity Committee, and huge thanks to anyone who contributed or was a part of the day.
Why Maggie's?
Maggie’s is a cancer care and support charity that offers one-to-one free help and information from their professional team. Or join in with specific groups and activities that are suited to you and your needs. If you or someone your care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Maggie’s Oxford is here to help you. Maggie’s is a calming welcoming space to meet people who understand what you’re going through, it’s also somewhere to gather your thoughts or simply take some time to yourself.
Student’s reasons for choosing Maggie’s:
Jinyu: Maggie's Charity is an organization that supports cancer patients and their families and carers. The reason why I chose Maggie's charity is because I've also experienced the same situation, so I can understand the pain of cancer patients and their families around me and want to help them. A few years ago, I saw my grandfather suffering from liver cancer and that time was for our family around him very difficult time. I believe the most important thing for cancer patients is not to lose hope and the support of people around them. But they can be tough on their own. I've seen cases of overcoming pain through the help of Maggie's charity, and we can also show them our support by participating in this hike and donating money, which will mean a lot to them.
Attar: When my grandma was diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer it was difficult not only for her but also for my family. For more than 3 years I witnessed the lengths my parents, aunts and uncles went through to obtain a bed, hire carers, and maintain a space for her in their homes for end-of-life care. There are many people in my country who were not as fortunate as she had been, but the people of Oxford are fortunate that they have Maggie's Cancer Charity - an organisation that provides support not only for those who are battling cancer but also for their families. My family would have been grateful to receive their help, as many families here in Oxford are grateful to be.
Jesslyn: Having had two family members lose their battle with cancer both my uncle and grandfather, it’s something that affected my family hugely. I really believe that people could have a better chance of winning their fights against cancer by having family beside them, they need all the support they can get to fight their illness. It is with this reason that I personally support Maggie’s charity because of their focus on giving both psychological and emotional support for family’s who are living with cancer.
Rhea: Cancer is undeniably one of the worst things that could happen to a person. Cancer can affect anyone, and not only the people who are battling it. I can personally relate to the subject matter, for I had to watch many people that I love, and care falls ill due to their cancer diagnosis. However, we were privileged enough to have accommodation so that this experience would be as comfortable as possible. But not many people can say the same, and that's where Maggie’s comes in. They provide excellent care for people who are battling cancer and their families alongside them. So please join us in this event and help us help them. If you are unable to, you can donate. Every donation, small or large, will go a long way.
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