A charity working to help others in memory of a York schoolboy who died from a brain tumour is to celebrate its 10th year.
OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity was launched in memory of Oscar Hughes from Dunnington who died aged nine in 2014.
Oscar’s parents Marie and Ian Hughes set up the charity later that year.
In 2020, Ian also died of a brain tumour and a few days after Ian’s funeral his son, four-year-old Milo, was diagnosed with the same disease and died a year later.
OSCAR’s works to fund research into Paediatric Brain Tumours in children and young people.
The charity said 2023 was a “record breaking year” – raising more money and reaching more people than ever before, including supporting over 50 children.
Charity manager Phil Martinez – a former teacher at Oscar’s old school – said he was proud to work with the charity.
He highlighted OSCAR’s ‘Booster Boxes’ – providing a ‘pick-me-up’ for children with brain tumours as well as for their siblings – as something that showed the charity’s “personal touch” in connecting with youngsters.
“Our Booster Boxes have been putting smiles on faces of children in York, Yorkshire and up and down the country,” Phil said.
“We have built up some really close relationships with families so that we can use the money that our supporters raise to support them.”
This year local football teams, schools and business have fundraised for OSCAR’s.
These include Wigginton Grasshoppes and Bedale Juniors, and Wilberfoss CE Primary School and Bootham School.
Business include Vantage Toyota, 1st Mortgage Services, Click Through Digital and Pure Dental.
Steve Butler at Vantage Toyota, which helped OSCAR’s raise nearly £8,500, said: “Since day one of reading about Oscar and his family all the team wanted to help somehow.
“We are so thankful to them for highlighting this horrible disease and how it affects children - and working hard to make things better.”
Some of the charity’s youngest members have been in the spotlight this year.
Oscar’s 14-year-old brother Lucas won Spirit of Youth at The Press’ Community Pride Awards for his continuing work for the charity, and 13-year-old fundraiser and volunteer Isabella won York Mix’s Child Award for her involvement in work on Booster Boxes alongside fundraising.
Read next:
- ‘Incredible’ York footballers raise over £7k to help children with brain tumours
- PICTURES: Celebrity football match in York raises thousands for charity
- Youngsters raise over £10,000 for children with brain tumours in memory of York boy
Looking to 2024, Marie Hughes, charity founder and chair of trustees, said OSCAR’s will carry on its work by investing £60,000 into a range of new research projects.
“2024 will be ten years since Oscar died and ten years since we set the charity up, so it is quite a significant and poignant time,” she said.
“Whatever we do it is always with the aim of making life better for children with brain tumours and their families - exactly what Oscar wanted when he fundraised during his illness.”
The charity is also looking to appoint youth ambassadors - young people who have a desire to support its work and children with brain tumours.
For more information about OSCAR’s visit oscarspbtc.org or email Phil Martinez: phil@oscarspbtc.org
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here