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Donna is delighted to be involved with a number of charities which are important to her; supporting maternal and neonatal wellbeing, social inclusion and excellence in end of life care at home. Below is a summary of both up and coming and previous events she has actively participated in.
Chichester’s community coat rack appeal has returned to the city this year to give a helping hand to the less fortunate in our community. The coat rack is now in its fourth year and was set up by homeless charity the Four Streets Project in partnership with the Chichester Observer and Chichester City Council. Anyone who has a spare coat is encouraged to donate to the coat rack so that rough sleepers are able to take from to keep warm. Donna Ockenden, who founded the Four Streets Project, called the coat rack’s return an ‘amazing piece of community initiative’. “I think last year in particular was successful beyond anything we could have wished for. The people in Chichester were incredibly generous and our volunteers had some great conversations with local families who told them how much the community coat rack meant to them. The message remains very simple: If you have a spare coat, please bring it along and hang it on the rack. If you need a coat, please take one.”
The Ockenden Cup has been presented at The Prebendal School and the recipient has expressed their thanks. ‘I was very pleased to win the Ockenden cup, thank you so much. Initially I didn’t realise it came with a cheque for £100 too!! We have raised over £4000 for CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and we are very grateful for the massive extra donation! Thank you again on behalf of year 8’.
The annual Ockenden Award for Charitable Endeavour at the junior school of Portsmouth High School for Girls has been announced. This years winner has worked tirelessly to support Lepra and the local Chestnut Tree Children’s Hospice in West Sussex. Donations have been sent by Donna to both these charities in recognition of this work along with a beautiful 1930’s antique cup for the student.
A Chichester primary school contacted Donna Ockenden in her role as founder of the Four Streets Project in order to help prepare vital supplies for members of Chichester’s homeless community. Staff at Midhurst C of E Primary School decided it was important to shed some light on members of society who live in different circumstances. Pupils collected items such as soaps and toothbrushes to create hygiene boxes for the homeless community. Donna said “It was really heart-warming that such young children made such a lot of effort to support some of the most vulnerable people in our city. They are a credit to their school, to their families and to their communities.”
Chichester businesses, members of the public and volunteers all work together every week to help look after the homeless in the city. The support Donna Ockenden and her charity have received has helped the Four Streets Project to grow. Companies including Fenwick’s Cafe in Priory Park Purchases Restaurant in North Street and LA Fish in The Hornet donate food to the charity. The staff at Q Hair and Beauty in Chichester have been rallying round to help the homeless by buying essential toiletries for them. Mayor of the city, Cllr Richard Plowman said: “The Chichester community is great. When a call for help comes out from a charity like the Four Street Project there is no hesitation and local shops have stepped forward immediately so many thanks from all of us”
The Four Streets Project in Chichester has recorded an increase in the number of homeless people being
fed in the city. Donna Ockenden, Founder of the Four Streets Project, said “We never miss a night. We
are a 365-days-a-year service and we believe in a service based on dignity, respect and compassion.
“Our volunteers come from all walks of life but they volunteer with Four Streets because they care about
the homeless and want to help bring dignity and compassion to what otherwise would be an extremely
difficult existence.”
Donna Ockenden is the Founder of Four Streets Project in Chichester and in a recent article in the Sussex Post she talks about being homeless herself and having the responsibility of her younger siblings. This experience means that Donna is especially keen to do what she can to assist those living on the streets of the city alongside a group of local volunteers.
Chichester’s Community Coat Rack has its final day for this winter. Donna Ockenden, the organiser, has been delighted with the success of this year’s project. It could not be done without everyone who has donated or helped out and so many people in need have benefitted from this initiative, which is in its third successful year.
Chichester residents who have had a significant effect on the city were recognised for their work at a city council ceremony. Donna Ockenden, who set up the Four Streets Project, which sees volunteers walk through the city speaking to and helping rough sleepers, was presented with an award. Receiving the award, Donna said she was ‘really pleased’ and continued with: “I think it is important to say that the award is for me personally but I consider it to be on behalf of the many volunteers who make up the Four Streets Project and of course we’d be nothing without the people we look after and care for in Chichester.”
The Community coat rack in Chichester was so successful it ran past Christmas. Supported by the Chichester Post, the coat rack held under the arches at the Assembly Rooms in the city centre has seen hundreds of coats donated and collected by those in need. Donna Ockenden, who set up the initiative said the people of Chichester had been incredibly generous and there was no sign of donations or collections slowing down.
The Four Streets Project Community Coat rack in Chichester returns for the third year running having ‘re-homed’ hundreds of coats over the last two winters. The aim is to ensure that no one in the city or surrounding areas lacks a warm coat this winter.
Founder; Donna Ockenden said “Our simple message is: If you have a spare coat in clean and good condition please leave it on the rack. If you need a coat please come and take one!” Anyone wishing to donate a coat is asked to visit the rack, which will be kept underneath the portico of the city council’s Assembly Rooms in North Street.
The annual Ockenden Award for Charitable Endeavour at the junior school of Portsmouth High School for Girls has been announced. The winner is a student who was judged to have made the most effort to support charitable causes in their time at the school. Donna made a donation to the charity of the pupil’s choice and gave a small gift to the winner in recognition of their hard work along with the stunning 1930’s antique cup.
Volunteers from the Four Streets Project were invited to an evening of singing Bernsteins music as part of a year long festival in Chichester. The event was held in the Assembly Rooms as a thank you from the community to volunteers.
Donna is delighted to work in partnership with teachers of the Junior School at Portsmouth High this summer, to present ‘The Ockenden Award for Helping Others’. The winner will be a student who is judged to have made the most effort to support charitable causes whilst at the school. Donna will also provide a donation to the charity of the pupil’s choice and a small gift to the winner in recognition of their hard work along with the engraved trophy.
Donna Ockenden’s daughter, Phoebe, has won an award for her voluntary work for the homeless charity – The Four Streets Project. Phoebe received the Young Citizen of the Year award at the Chichester City Council ceremony in March. Phoebe is one of 26 volunteers who hand out much needed food and supplies every evening to those living on the streets of the city.
Donna is delighted to have been made a trustee for MAMA Academy and says “wonderful progress is being made by the dedicated team at MAMA Academy by empowering expectant mums with pregnancy information. By helping them feel in control of their pregnancy and confident in reporting any problematic symptoms to their maternity team, this can only be a positive development”
Back in November Donna Ockenden, the founder of the Four Streets Project, approached Purchases Restaurant in North Street Chichester for help with providing nutritious, tasty and hot food for the homeless people her team work with. Those who are living on the streets are desperate for a hot evening meal and Purchases have been a huge support in creating a tasty and wholesome soup for the cold nights.
Through the role of Patron I support fundraising and awareness raising of the profile the six Royal Palaces play in the culture, heritage and history of the United Kingdom. Acting as a Patron of HRP is important in encouraging others to visit and appreciate the Palaces and the contribution they continue to make to contemporary life in the UK in the absence of Government funding.
St Anthony’s Special School is based in Chichester and welcomes children of all ages. Donna has previously held the position of chair of the Parents and Friends of St Anthony’s and played a keen role in fundraising activities. Events have included Wine Tasting, Duck Race down the river and the Vintage Fete and Classic Car Show
Donna is delighted to work in partnership with teachers at the school to present ‘The Ockenden Award for Charitable Endeavour’. The award is in its fourth year and rewards and supports the efforts of Year 8 pupils. The winner is a student who is judged to have made the most effort to support charitable causes in their time at the school. Donna provides a donation to the charity of the pupil’s choice and a small gift to the winner in recognition of their hard work along with the stunning 1930’s antique cup.
A wonderful charity that offers palliative nursing care at home, Donna is delighted to sponsor the nurses choir to sing two songs at Kate’s Home Nursing Christmas Carol Concert 2016. The Charity was set up to nurse patients in their own home through the last stage of illness and to support their families. The rural locality reduces the ability of the larger national charities to help so Kate’s Home Nursing fills this gap in provision with its high quality ‘hospice at home’ care.
A charity founded in 1989 who provide a lifeline for homeless people with hubs, hostels and supported accommodation in Chichester, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Donna and her daughter manned a table at the Vintage and Very Nice Market held at the Chichester Assembly Rooms and raised £336.
The 2017 Chichester Observer Community Awards took place at the beginning of December and The Shirley Henry Award was won by Donna Ockenden. Donna was unable to make the night so members of the Four Streets Project collected it on her behalf and spoke about the work they do feeding Chichester’s homeless every night. The initiative was founded by Donna in January 2017 and every night at least two volunteers have been out in the city centre supporting those in need.
With more and more people now living on the streets of West Sussex volunteers and charity groups are seeking more helpers to join their endeavors. The local newspaper; Chichester Observer, talks to people who are homeless and the charities who are supporting them as much as they can.
A Chichester hairdressers has been asking its clients to kindly donate any spare warm clothing which will then be distributed by The Four Streets Project to the homeless. The staff will also join the volunteers in the evening on a rota basis to help deliver food, drink and blankets to those in need.
The Chichester Observer Community Awards 2017 will be announced at a ceremony on December 4th in West Sussex and Donna Ockenden is amongst the nominees for her work with The Four Streets Project. The initiative was only set up in January of this year and has been embraced by a team of compassionate volunteers to help the homeless.
Donna is delighted to relaunch the Community Coat Rack in Chichester as part of the Four Streets Project initiative. As founder, she says: ‘If you have a spare coat please leave one and if you need a new coat, please take one’. The new location is at the Council House in North Street and the rack is co-run with the Chichester Observer.
The Four Streets Project and Chichester Observer are planning to bring the Community Coat Rack this winter. They are seeking a shop within the four streets to have it outside their store.
St Anthony’s Special School is based in Chichester and welcomes children of all ages. Donna has previously held the position of chair of the Parents and Friends of St Anthony’s and played a keen role in fundraising activities. Events have included Wine Tasting, Duck Race down the river and the Vintage Fete and Classic Car Show
http://www.st-ants.org/
Summer Fair 2016
Thank you letter November 2016
Thank you letter July 2017
Donna is delighted to work in partnership with teachers at the school to present ‘The Ockenden Award for Charitable Endeavour’. The award is in its third year and rewards and supports the efforts of Year 8 pupils. The winner is a student who is judged to have made the most effort to support charitable causes in their time at the school. Donna provides a donation to the charity of the pupil’s choice and a small gift to the winner in recognition of their hard work along with the stunning 1930’s antique cup.
A wonderful charity that offers palliative nursing care at home, Donna is delighted to sponsor the nurses choir to sing two songs at Kate’s Home Nursing Christmas Carol Concert 2016. The Charity was set up to nurse patients in their own home through the last stage of illness and to support their families. The rural locality reduces the ability of the larger national charities to help so Kate’s Home Nursing fills this gap in provision with its high quality ‘hospice at home’ care.
A charity founded in 1989 who provide a lifeline for homeless people with hubs, hostels and supported accommodation in Chichester, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Donna and her daughter manned a table at the Vintage and Very Nice Market held at the Chichester Assembly Rooms and raised £336.
A hugely attended fun run, enjoyed by so many and raising funds for the charity Tommy’s. Donna co-organised the event in Chichester and was thrilled with the turnout and support by all those who took part.