With thirty years fundraising experience, in 2015 Nicky Clargo decided to establish Oxfordshire STARS to raise money primarily for Marie Curie Cancer charity. She felt that with so many people being diagnosed with cancer, requiring the care and support from charities such as Marie Curie, not only would she be helping the charity but also the patients and their families who call upon Marie Curie each year.
“Most of us know someone who has been affected by cancer, and Marie Curie did not seem to get as much publicity as some of the other charities in and around Oxfordshire. The thought behind the name was simple,” says Nicky. “We are people from Oxfordshire and everyone who helps raise money for charity is a STAR in my eyes! So, it simply became Oxfordshire STARS!”
Oxfordshire STARS runs a number of events throughout the year including Walks, Social Nights, Trek Weekends and Charitable Events. The Oxfordshire STARS group is made up of a friendly bunch of individuals, some of whom enjoy the great outdoors, others enjoy socialising and fundraising to support the charitable fundraising.
The walks help bring people together in a fun and happy environment, with a strong emphasis placed on being supportive, respectful and kind to one another. For those people who are not currently walking but who are considering improving their health and well-being walking is an ideal way to start. Their walks are between 4 to 12 miles long with the majority of walks being in the 6-8 mile range; shorter and longer walks usually take place during the summer months. Please ensure you have a reasonable level of fitness before embarking on a walk and also remember to bring your waterproofs, good walking boots or trek sandals, sun hats*, sun cream*, insect repellent*, water, snacks and cameras (*depending on the time of year). To help cover the cost of this site we ask our walkers to contribute £2 per walk. Any surplus funds are used to support our charity fundraising expenses (e.g. photocopying, postage, stationery, laminates, raffle tickets, bingo books, prizes etc.).
The Oxfordshire STARS walking group is a great way for people to get out and about, make new friends and have opportunities to go away on walking holidays and participate in UK and overseas trek challenges. From the 3rd to 9th September of this year, members are participating in the Transylvania challenge. This amazing 7 day challenge will see people walking up to 10 miles per day for four days together with an amazing two night stay in the city of Brasov.
“The charity treks are a great way to support a charity while experiencing some of the world. Several of my participants are self-funding their own costs and then raising the rest for the charity. Others are paying the whole amount themselves. It's up to the individual how they raise the funds. I've been told that Romania is a beautiful country and I'm really looking forward to seeing the Carpathians and experiencing the medieval villages and Bran Castle. It'll be quite an adventure.”
“Another really lovely thing about helping people take part in events like these is that I have seen people flourish. Some have come to my group incredibly nervous and shy with little confidence. By the time they do one of our events, UK or overseas, they feel they could conquer the world. It has been amazing to witness the difference it can make to some people's lives. The ability to believe they can do something, not just with raising the money, but also physically is amazing.”
Closer to home and not requiring so much physical input, you can help support Oxfordshire STARS by coming along to one of their varied social evenings, held in and around Witney. The social and charity events include quiz nights, bands, dinners and the annual New Years Eve Party and draw people in from around Oxfordshire and beyond. To follow what is happening, please visit Facebook/oxfordshirestars.gigsevents.
Since Oxfordshire STARS was established, they have raised an impressive £69,669. If you would like to support them by making a donation, please visit their Just Giving page justgiving.com/page/oxfordshire-stars2024. If you would like to donate a raffle prize for one of the social events or provide £100 in company Sponsorship for one of their events, contributions are always gratefully received.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Transylvania Challenge or donating to one of the fundraising social events, please contact Nicky on 07754 271831 or email her at Oxfordshire.stars@gmail.com.
For further information, visit meetup.com/oxfordshire-stars-walks-socials-and-charitable-events
