Oxford
Secretary: Anne Ollivant - next meeting: TBA
The Oxford Branch was started a while ago by Anne Ollivant and their dedicated members.
We meet every few months for supper at the Victoria Arms, Mill Lane, Old Marston, OX3 0PZ. This is a beautiful riverside pub with moorings for punts, lots of ducks and good pub grub!
We provide a mixture of social and fund raising activities and usually have a lively meeting discussing SCKPA and branch business together with more national kidney issues. Occasionally we hold a post Christmas lunch at the Cotswold Lodge in Oxford at the end of January when commitments allow.
We supported the Sopp family at the Woodcote Steam Rally in July and ran the tombola that raised over £600 for SCKPA funds. Our stand also promoted awareness of organ donation.
Oxford branch at the Woodcote Steam Rally, report and photos. For more information on the Rally click this link
Oxford branch at The “Waddesdon” – the Oxford branch provided marshals for the annual Waddesdon Horse Event organized by the Haddenham & District Rotary Club.
Please email Anne if you are interested in joining our friendly group or contact Wendy Sutcliffe on 01869 350738.
Tribute to Valerie Mills
The Oxford Branch was extremely sad to hear of the loss of one of our most generous hearted and dedicated members who died in November after a long struggle with cancer. 
Pictured above: Val (plus hat) with Beverly and Martin Wood at the horse event
Val was a lively and positive person with a lovely smile and a great sense of humour. She came as often as she could to our branch meetings and when she and Mike made it, they gave quite a lift to the group.
She was a great contributor and could turn her hand to anything. She made delicious cakes at the Woodcote coffee mornings arranged by Joyce Sopp years ago. She was invaluable at the Woodcote Steam Fair and without hesitation would pull up her sleeves and help wherever she was needed.
We will all miss her very much indeed and send our condolences to Mike.
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Tribute to Elizabeth Howarth by Anne Ollivant
Liz sadly died on 17/10/20 of cancer. She was a dear friend and loyal supporter of the SCKPA. I got to know her when we were on Dialysis together and after we both had our transplants, we used to meet up socially. Liz was a culture vulture and loved Art, Literature & Drama and anything related to it. She loved to travel, spoke fluent German and had a great sense of humour.
She came to a few Oxford Branch events and to the SCKPA meetings and lunches. She was incredibly talented and had been Headteacher at the Matthew Arnold School in Cumnor before she had to retire on health grounds. After her transplant she became the editor of the Transplant Foundation newsletter and director of her local CAB in Witney. She certainly contributed to whichever sphere she participated in.
She was always very concerned about the Renal Ward as she had been in there a few times and knew it was not “fit for purpose”. She was keen to help in any way she could to get a new ward and wanted to join our committee which was not possible at the time. She will be sadly missed by many of us.
Tribute to John Sutcliffe by Anne Ollivant
We were very sad to hear of John’s death. He and his wife Wendy were the first members to join the revived Oxford Branch and from then on, they were faithful stalwarts of the group.They acted as my sounding board and support and were always ready to help – a reliable backup at all times.
At our meetings and events it was very useful to have John’s experience and knowledge and above all his sense of humour. John and Wendy became good friend’s and we went to various NKF conferences together. We always had a good time with John who would keep us laughing but was also very interested in the Conference itself and any new developments for kidney patients.
John and Wendy were always an immense support at our fundraising events and I could always rely on them to help. Whether it was holding collecting tins in all weathers outside supermarkets for hours or assisting Terry Sopp and his family at the annual 3 day “Woodcote Steam Fair”, they were always there.
John was enormously grateful to the Churchill Hospital for his treatment and especially for his Kidney Transplant which he had for 21 years. He felt especially privileged to have such top quality Consultants and Nurses looking after him. He wanted to give back a little through his support of the Oxford Branch, SCKPA and NKF. He certainly did that!
We send all our sympathy and affection to Wendy and the family. We will miss him an enormous amount. A dear friend and loyal supporter of the Oxford Branch and SCKPA.