The Sun Fund Launch

It’s not every day you attend a launch event set against the stunning backdrop of a historic castle but that’s exactly what made the unveiling of The Sun Fund at Broughton Castle such a memorable occasion.

The event brought together a remarkable mix of attendees, including the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, representatives from across the political spectrum, and influential figures from the local business community. Their presence underscored the importance and urgency of collaborative action to support young people in the region.

Guests were welcomed with the unique opportunity to take on multi Paralympic bronze medallist Aaron McKibbin in a friendly challenge before the event formally began.

Guests heard from Cleenol’s CEO Sam Greaves, as well as a young speaker from Distraction Youth who shared a powerful and personal perspective on growing up in Banbury. We were honoured to have the Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Mrs Marjorie Glasgow, formally launch the fund, followed by Emmy O’Shaughnessy from Oxfordshire Youth, who spoke about the inspiration behind the initiative.

The Sun Fund aims to create clearer, more accessible pathways into skills development, employment, and long-term opportunity for the next generation in Banbury.

The initiative will focus on:

·        Mentoring and work experience opportunities

·        Skills development and employability support

·        Investment in youth services and facilities

·        Creating sustainable, long-term pathways into employment

There was a strong sense throughout the event that this initiative is both timely and necessary. The level of enthusiasm and commitment from those involved reflects a shared ambition to drive real, positive change for Banbury’s young people.

We received pledges from local businesses regarding the actions they are going to take for Banbury’s young people. Including:

“Prodrive is committing to open our doors to help young people in Banbury access careers in motorsports.”

“As DCS Group our commitment is to offer apprenticeships to young people, offer work experiences and placements and continued support for The Sun Fund.”

The Sun Fund is closely aligned with the successful Business Guardians model developed by Oxfordshire Youth. This proven framework brings a structured, collaborative approach to how businesses can engage with and support young people in meaningful, lasting ways.

We’re incredibly excited to see how The Sun Fund develops in the months ahead.

A big thank you to everyone who came and also to everyone who brought this vision to life. Martin Fiennes for the use of Broughton Castle, Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, Mrs Marjorie Glasgow for launching the Sun Fund and thank you to our ambassadors Frederick Fennessy, Pippa Bennett-Warner and to our founding trustees Tom Horne, Matthew Rolph and Sir Tony Baldry.