"Join push to raise the last £150,000 for Oscar fund
Some of those markets might be tough out there right now but shipping has been showing it can think big and beyond them.
Representatives from just a few of those who have so generously and enthusiastically got behind the Oscar — Ocean and Shipping Community Advancing Children’s Health and Research — campaign met at the Henry Root restaurant in London to take stock of a year’s fundraising for the world-famous Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
On hand to greet and thank them was Spinnaker Consulting boss Phil Parry, whose son, Oscar, received lifesaving care at the worldfamous children’s hospital. Parry had good news. The campaign, which aims to raise an initial £500,000 toward a £2.2m Seas and Oceans wing in a new clinical-investigations unit by the middle of this year, is closing in on its target.
In the past 12 months, it has banked a massive £345,000 but still needs a further push for the remaining £150,000 so the Morgan Stanley Clinical Building can open this summer.
Parry said he has been “completely stunned” by the industry’s generosity. He thanked his former law firm, Ince & Co, for making Oscar its charity of the year, attendees Henning Oldendorf and Richard Fulford-Smith for being among the first to back the campaign and many others including
Petros Pappas, Raffaele Zagari and Alan Marsh, to name but a few.
Parry also sent out special thanks to the Oscar campaign group and on a personal note to Yvonne, his wife, who, due to all his campaigning, he says does not see enough of him, he added: “Thank you for being Oscar’s mum and for putting up with me day in and day out.”
The campaign still has a couple of initiatives to come.
Oldendorff has offered to host a launch party for his company’s new London office in the near future, at which Oscar will feature.
Parry also flagged up the forthcoming Oscar Trading Day on 24 May. He hopes the shipbroking, chartering and insurance communities will get behind the effort and use their powers of persuasion to encourage counterparties to visit a special website where they can buy space on the good ship Oscar.
TradeWinds will be following the vessel’s progress throughout the day.
There were some new faces also present, including Nicholas Tsakos, who appeared to be taking a closer look at the Oscar campaign.
So: £150,000 to raise by June, come on shipping!"
