An exciting new night in the Oxfordshire social calendar
Oxford United are officially launching their Community Trust with a star-studded gala dinner on Thursday 29th October. The Community Trust is a pioneering development programme and registered charity, and the gala dinner will see the initiative get off to a flying start.
The Community Trust has been in development for the past 12 months and will be one of the most progressive and comprehensive football community programmes in the country. Made up of four key pillars, ‘sports coaching and participation’, ‘health and wellbeing’, ‘education, training and employment’ and ‘social inclusion’, it is a scheme designed to touch and improve the lives of as many Oxfordshire residents as possible.
Mark Ashton, CEO at Oxford United, commented: “When the chairman and I came into the club last summer we did so with a very clear set of objectives – to take Oxford United forward, both on and off the pitch, and to bring about positive change in the local community.
"We believe that the football club has a responsibility to do what’s right by the whole county, and on October 29th we’re putting a stake in the ground. We’re going to be announcing a number of new, exciting initiatives at the gala dinner, which, I have no doubt, will be a great charity fundraiser for local communities.”
The gala dinner is set to be a star-studded, glamorous and celebratory evening. As well as the current playing and coaching staff, and famed friends of the club – including Sky Sports football anchor, David Jones and ex-ITV commentator Jim Rosenthal – current England manager Roy Hodgson is set to attend, along with a number of other high-profile established luminaries from the worlds of sports, entertainment, politics and culture.
Attendees on the night will be treated to an exquisite three-course meal, top drawer entertainment, and they’ll also have the opportunity to bid for a number of money can’t buy prizes to raise money for the Trust, including signed football boots from some of the world’s top players.
Operations Director for the Oxford United Community Trust, Caroline Robbins, said: “We’re going all out to launch the Community Trust with a real bang. This is going to be quite a night. The Community Trust is a charity that aims not just to inspire our fans, their families and their friends, but everyone in Oxfordshire. We’ve got big plans for the Community Trust, and have already put significant funds into it. But, we need more, we need to keep filling the coffers. On October 29th people will have the chance to contribute, and enjoy a night to remember while they’re doing it.”