At Oxford Edge we're always looking for ways to give back to the community. Here's a quick round-up of our latest sponsorships, initiatives and community projects.
Getting hairy for movember!
Movember is back and the Oxford Edge team is taking part once again, joining millions of people around the world who are helping men live happier, healthier and longer lives. We will be putting our best face follicles forward to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
We will also be raising funds for these causes by hosting a movie night and running a raffle. Money raised will go towards projects across mental health and suicide prevention and research into prostate and testicular cancer.
We are doing this for all the dads, brothers, sons and mates in our lives, to raise awareness and start conversations around men’s health.
Like last year, the (in)famous mo-gress shots will return each week as the males in the office break out their best Tom Selleck, Errol Flynn or Salvador Dali tribute.
We would appreciate any support you may wish to give. We are looking for prizes for the raffle so please get in touch if you have anything you wish to donate.
You can find the Oxford Edge team page here: movember.com/t/moevember-moevers
Basketball Support Gets Results
Our sponsorship of St Andrew’s College basketball continues to help the sport grow, both in the high school and preparatory school. Across both, nearly a quarter of students are participating in basketball this year. At secondary level the college has eight competitive teams and 18 social teams.
They’re getting results as well. The Senior Girls team won the Canterbury and South Island championships and the Junior Boys made the South Island quarter-finals. The Senior Girls team also secured the school’s best finish at a Basketball New Zealand national tournament, coming second at the NZ Secondary Schools National Finals.
Our sponsorship has ensured team members have the kit they need for the season. It has also helped pay travel costs for the teams as they compete in the first Basketball New Zealand tournaments in three years. Across the high school, four groups were able to travel to Invercargill, Nelson and Palmerston North to complete the first full calendar of events since 2019.
Next year looks very exciting for basketball at St Andrew’s College, with a strong group of rangatahi showing they have what it takes to be a great student athlete. Oxford Edge will be there from the first tip-off.
Tree Count 700 And Rising
Our partnership with conservation charity Trees That Count has hit 700 trees planted, putting us well on the way to our goal of 1000 trees in the ground and becoming carbon-neutral in the next three years.
Trees That Count provides a place for all New Zealanders to fund or gift native trees. This support is matched with planters throughout the country who are restoring and growing wildlife corridors or pockets of native forest.
Oxford Edge has funded the planting of over 100 native trees at Kawea Farm near the Canterbury town of Springfield and a further 600 in total for various reforestation groups, the Christchurch City Council’s red zone planting project and Conservation Volunteers New Zealand’s Lyttelton Harbour site.
Since starting the project in 2016, the family behind the Kowai Bush farm has planted more than 3,500 native trees on the property. Help such as that provided by Oxford Edge has meant the family has been able to increase their planting from 100 native trees per season to over 1000.
On their bikes!
Riders in the brutal Tour of Southland cycling race begin their seven-day journey on Sunday 30 October, and Oxford Edge will be there.
The Oxford Edge Cycling Team, captained by Richard Lawson, will take on New Zealand's premiere cycling race as it winds through the stunning scenery of Southland. The opportunity to test yourself against some of the world’s best is why the race is a 'must do' for our up-and-coming team riders.
Southland will be the final major target for the current team, which boasts an exciting combination of the core riders from a successful campaign in Belgium as well as 2021 Tour of Southland team rider Camden Feint. Camden rejoins the team after a successful 2022 season in France.
Rounding out the six-strong team is Robin Donzé, an 18-year-old Swiss professional rider who recently took part in the u23 / junior Tour de France, Tour d'Avenir for his national team, Switzerland.
The full Oxford Edge Team is:
- Richard Lawson (Road Captain)
- Guy Yarrell
- Josh Rivett
- Cathal Guiney
- Camden Feint
- Robin Donzé
You can follow their progress over on their Facebook page.
Waste not, Want not
Meanwhile, back in the office – we have a major new fitout coming, so you can look forward to some swish surroundings on your next visit. But what to do with the old stuff? Oxford Edge partnered with zero-waste charity All Heart NZ to redirect, reduce and repurpose it all.
All Heart NZ’s aim is to create a circular economy for unwanted corporate furniture and equipment, redirecting it away from landfill and to community organisations that can make good use of it.
According to its final report to us, we provided All Heart NZ with 32 items weighing 1520kg, of which 100 percent was redirected for community good. Carbon emissions avoided by not sending it to the dump came in at just under 1 tonne.
All Heart NZ estimates the community value of being able to use, pass on and sell our old furniture and equipment at $3906.
We see sustainability as a value to be embraced and encouraged by us all. Working with All Heart NZ on this project has shown us it can be a part of every aspect of business, big or small.
To find out more about the charity, go to www.allheartnz.org.nz