Dear Mrs Ockenden
Thank you for awarding me this award and letting me chose a charity,
Kinds regards
Prebendal School student (who chose WWF as her charity)
Thank you for the Ockenden Award for Endeavour…for your kindness and generosity in giving Portsmouth High School this award. I am very grateful to be able to receive your award and will strive to follow in the footsteps in those who have received this award before me.
Student, 2024
Supporting the Local Community
St Ives holds a special place in my heart. It is somewhere that I have visited with my daughters since they were very young and a place that I feel relaxed, and at home. Over the many years that I have spent staying in St Ives, I have made some dear friends and got to know so many people in the local community along the way – they have become one of the reasons I choose to spend my time there.
St Ives is a town in South West England that relies heavily on tourism throughout the summer. In 2010, St Ives food bank served four families a week in summer and twelve in the winter. In 2024, the food bank’s founder shared that this number had jumped to an average of thirty families a week in the summer and sixty in the winter. With poverty rising across the country and in particular a third of children now living in deprivation, I have continued to do what I can to help those in need. I have supported a safe space in St Ives for families to enjoy a warm cup of coffee, and activity days for families to enjoy throughout the year.
The Hakes
Rugby is an important part of St Ives’ community. The RFC supports the community by hosting community activities and engaging with the local families of St Ives. In September 2022, my donation to The Hakes gave them the opportunity to buy new rugby posts so that they could continue to play their much loved game.
St Ia Church
I receive regular updates on activities that I help St Ia’s Church to support year-round; they too play an important part of St Ives’ community. This year, my donation has helped to provide summer and Christmas parties for the children living in local St Ive’s community.
St Ives RFC Youth Section
This year I sponsored a Halloween Party for St Ives RFC Youth Section on the 2nd of November. I was delighted to receive a kind letter from the Vice-Chairman, with pictures of lots of happy little faces that enjoyed the party.
My support to the Salvation Army community in St Ives will help to bring some Christmas joy to local families.
Aberdare
I was born in Aberdare, a town located in the country borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The town prides itself on its community spirit and beautiful scenery. I try to visit Aberdare a few times a year, with my beloved sister. Despite not having lived in Wales since I was a child, I still recognise familiar faces whenever I return. Since the 1980’s and the loss of so much of the Cynon Valley’s heavy industry, many families have struggled to get by. Some families are now regularly struggling to afford necessities like food and a warm space to call home.
St Elvans
St Elvans is a Church of Wales church at the heart of Aberdare. My father was a chorister for eleven years at St Elvans, and my grandmother worshipped there every Sunday, for more than forty years without fail. One of the ways that I pay tribute to them both, and to care for others in the way that they did, is by donating to the Church they worshipped at to help fund regular activities such as the Community Cuppa afternoon for local residents, and helping to fund Santa’s Grotto. The first Community Cuppa event is due to take place in January 2025, giving a warm and safe space to those who need it in the colder months. Next year, I am committed to supporting the church in opening a Summer Club for families who are missing the support of free meals throughout the summer.
Latest Updates
Baby Loss Awareness Week – the Wave of Light 15th October 2024
Yesterday marked the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week, and families across the world joined the global Wave of Light at 7pm by lighting a candle in memory of all the babies who are no longer with us.
This Baby Loss Awareness Week, I am supporting the Sands – baby loss charity campaign to raise awareness of pregnancy & baby loss. This year, our team have worked with Nottingham Council, and Chichester Council to light their council buildings blue & pink to honour all babies who have died. https://lnkd.in/eQzSw8vf
Baby Lifeline National Maternity Safety Conference
Delighted to have attended the Baby Lifeline National Maternity Safety Conference yesterday, alongside colleagues and families from across the country.
As honorary president, I am proud to have chaired the ‘Progress in Partnership’ session that explored how the Royal Colleges can work together with NHSE to provide women and their families with the care they need and deserve.
Some really interesting conversations on recovering maternity services post-Covid, maternity care in the face of war, developing maternity services through lived experience, and how providers can adopt a more person-centered approach to care.
One of the common themes was that we need to listen to women. All women. The ‘hard to reach’ communities are in fact not hard to reach, and they deserve to have their voices heard & amplified. A thought-provoking video shared by Angie Doshani explored how vital it is that we are able to provide care for women whose first language isn’t English, AND for those women who can speak SOME English so that we are able to provide informed care. I would love to see the JANAMApp in use within Trusts across the country so that we are able to provide this support.
So many fantastic speakers, whose discussions have truly left an impact and I will certainly be sharing your insights with my team: Sir Rob Behrens CBE, Professor Lucy Easthope, Clotilde Rebecca Abe, Larysa Cheprasova,
Alina Dunayevska, Viktoriya Luchka, Amber Marshall, Geeta Nayar, Shakila Thangaratinam, & Dr Angie Doshani, to name but a few.
#MatSafety2024The Royal College of Midwives (RCM)Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists | RCOG
Below are some of the letters that Donna has received for her charitable work over the years. Click to view the full size document.
