Mayor of Winchester’s Community Awards – March 2018

A group of Osborne Mums (past and present) and friends have taken to walking once a year for a good cause! It started with raising money for Friends of Osborne School and we were able to raise £3,800 to refurbish the Sensory Room.

Last year we tragically lost one of our sons, Adam Dowinton who was just 17 years old. Adam loved his weekend and holiday breaks with KIDS and his mum, Emma, thought it was fitting to raise money for Chris Clark and his team.  As a group, all of our young adults (and us as parents) have benefited hugely from the dedication of Chris and his team so we knew Adam would have approved.

With Adam in our thoughts we smiled through the blisters and walked the Clarendon Way raising over £4,000 for KIDs which has contributed to the purchase of a sensory trolley, games, sports equipment and more! KIDS do not get money for equipment and with current cuts to their budget fundraising is ever more important!

Because of our fundraising efforts Chris Clark nominated us to receive the above award and we are thrilled to have been given this at the Science Centre on 21^st March.  Chris is an amazing person, his kindness and dedication to young adults with disabilities is phenomenal.  We all feel a great deal of comfort knowing our young adults are in his care.    With this in mind we dedicate this award to Chris and also to Adam Dowinton , an incredible young man whom we all miss dearly.

As for future walks – this year four of the group are taking part in the Sunrise Walk for Naomi House Children’s Hospice. This will involve walking up Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales, in the dark, until sun rise!  We wish them the best of luck and please watch this space for information on how to sponsor them for another worthy local cause!

Osborne Walking Mums