OOG's 25th anniversary isn't far off!

One of OOG's founder members and former Chair, David Green, wrote to the Commitee this week to tell us that it's almost 25 years since we were founded. David writes:

"Can this possibly be true? Google tells me that a banana split 455 miles long broke the world record on 30 April 1988. Well, I'm not surprised. Also on that day Stephen Fry delivered his famous funny monologue version of the BBC's weather forecast. "


"Google doesn't add that on that same day the Oxford Oxfam Group was born, born in the sense that it held its first event on that memorable Saturday. It was an event, neither fundraising, nor campaigning, that simply invited Oxford's public to St Michael's Church in Cornmarket, to talk about world poverty and Oxfam's responses; here, in the downstairs room, six people set to to let guests know that a new Oxfam Group was on the block. And that it meant business. The event was called, modestly, 'Time for a Chat'. New members were quickly forthcoming."

"Because you are all brilliant at maths, you will quickly have worked out the relationship between 30 April 1988 and 30 April 2013, and that 30 April 2013 marks OOG's 25th birthday!"

"Now, the Group didn't celebrate its 20th birthday in any special way, but I guess you will agree with me that a quarter century should not go unrecorded. I have asked Naveed to make sure that Oxfam's staff and Director know that the volunteer Group on their doorstep has reached a milestone that everyone can be proud of. But, as your sole founder member, I asked if I might make an approach to you all and to urge you to consider how you could help to mark the occasion. For myself, if there were enough people interested I would be glad to lead a walk along the route of the original OOGWalk. This was the one that in the 1990s took you from Hinksey up to Youlbury and Boars Hill, then back through Happy Valley to Lake Street, a distance of some 12 miles. Will you suggest and help organize another appropriate marker?"

"Since those six people (Bridget Browne, Tessa Brodetsky, David Brookes, Mark Haeffner, Graham Hooper and I) pushed the boat out in 1988, many hundreds of people have pulled at the OOG oars. Many thousands of pounds have been raised for Oxfam's work – well into six figures. Dozens of campaigns have been supported, and many schools introduced to development education. Though Oxfam's work will never be done, though we may all be ashamed that still, in 2012, countless millions of people still live in terrible poverty, yet we can take some comfort from the fact that we have allied ourselves with a great, honest and just cause. And we have done it through the Oxford Oxfam Group. Let's mark this birthday!"

David

I hope that we'll be able to discuss this proposal at our AGM, coming up on 6 December - please do come along (you'll also get the chance to hear about Oxfam's work in Bangladesh).