Fundraising to keep Owen’s memory alive – Remarkable colleagues

Owen’s Story

When Zoe Mitchell’s beloved son Owen was tragically killed in December, she kept herself going by co-running a campaign, Owen’s World, aiming to keep kids off the street and to stop more tragedies like this occurring.

Zoe, who works at our Crossways Food store, says “Owen Thomas Dunn was the youngest of my two boys. He was the light and soul of my family’s life. He would do anything for anyone, from cutting grass for neighbours to doing jobs for his nan. He was very close to his brother Luke and was a proper joker with the most infectious laugh. He loved his French bulldog Jazz and she misses him so much.”

Setting up Owen’s World

In response to losing Owen in such terrible circumstances, the mum of one of Owen’s friends set up the Owen’s World Foundation, which aims to educate children in schools and provide youth clubs with social activities and counselling support in the hope of preventing further knife crime. Showing remarkable strength in difficult circumstances, Zoe is helping to change her community for the better.

To get these initiatives off the ground, Zoe, her family, friends and members of her local community have been busy fundraising, starting with a launch party in March. In April, with the help of several of Zoe’s Co-op colleagues, they hosted a spring fayre with dancing, stalls, bouncy castles and face painting.

Owen’s uncle has run two half marathons and his cousin did a charity boxing match, with friends, family and one of Zoe’s work colleagues also running a 5K in Sevenfields in recent weeks. Crossways store is even planning an Owen’s World day to raise more money for the fund.

She says, “We have raised nearly £7,000 so far. It’s a long road ahead but it keeps me going.”

A Crossway colleague took part in a 5K in Sevenfields in support of Owen’s World

Installing bleed cabinets

To try to make a difference immediately within the community, Owen’s World has begun installing bleed cabinets locally. Zoe explains, “Each bleed cabinet costs £510 and contains everything you need to stem a major bleed. You access it by dialling 999, they then give you a code to access the kit inside and talk you through how to use it until an ambulance can attend. Unfortunately, there was nothing like this in place for Owen. Those vital minutes can stem a bleed and save a life.”

The first cabinet was installed near Owen’s home in John Moulton Hall in Penhill, unveiled by the Mayor of Swindon, and a second will soon be placed within a local pub.