Witney News - Do It For Oxfordshire Goes Beyond The Pole

Do It For Oxfordshire Goes Beyond The Pole

The Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) is putting a bit of glamour into the ‘Do it for Oxfordshire’ fundraising campaign. The OCF is holding a gala première of the film Beyond the Pole on 15th April at the Phoenix Picture House in Walton Street, Oxford.

The evening, which will start with a champagne reception, promises an opportunity to dress up, experience the red carpet treatment and even get papped with the star! Executive Producer and member of the cast, Helen Baxendale, famous for her roles in Cold Feet and Friends, and her husband David L Williams, who is also the film’s director/producer, will both be there to meet the audience and talk about the film.

The film, the world’s first global warming comedy, stars Stephen Mangan (Green Wing); Rhys Thomas (Fast Show); Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), as well as Helen Baxendale, and follows the fortunes of the first Carbon Neutral, Organic, and vegetarian expedition to the North Pole. The hapless Brits have high hopes of doing their bit for global warming – and getting into the Guinness Book of Records. Unfortunately, they hadn’t reckoned on the competitive Norwegians or the polar bears...

Beyond the Pole will be preceded by The Shift, produced and directed by David Trumble, a talented young Oxford director. This short film follows a London paramedic and his technician on a night shift as they encounter a string of people in situations which range from the serious to the trivial.

David, previously a pupil at Cherwell School and past winner of the Dan Hemingway prize, is a political and sports cartoonist for The Sun, and an exhibition of his work will be in the upstairs bar at the Phoenix during April. A percentage of sales will go towards the OCF.

Pre-show dining has been organised with Loch Fyne and Mamma Mia Jericho, with 20% and 25% (respectively) of the bill being donated to the OCF. Tickets for the event are limited and selling fast. For tickets please email [email protected].

The polar setting of Beyond the Pole, is an appropriate start to the OCF’s campaign which is asking workers in the county to ‘Do it in Blue’ on Friday 16th of April. Everyone is encouraged to donate £1 to dress down and wear blue. To find out more about the OCF ‘Do it in Blue’ day please go to www.oxfordshire.org where you will find posters to download and display in the office and a link to register your participation in the scheme or email [email protected].

The film première and ‘Do it in Blue’ are events organised to both raise funds and the profile of the OCF. The Foundation helps local voluntary and non-profit groups around the county. Since 1995 the Foundation has donated £2.5 million to 750 organisations in Oxfordshire.