“It is so uplifting to meet so many people blessed with generous hearts and a deep sense of community.”

The Tim Stockdale Foundation was set up in memory of British showjumping star Tim Stockdale, who died in November 2018 aged 54, a month after being diagnosed with cancer.
Funds raised will be used to enable greater participation in sports, with a focus on emerging young talent.
The fund is held and managed by Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (number 1151621) founded in 1995, with many years’ experience in enabling philanthropy and funding charitable causes. Oxfordshire Community Foundation provides a practical and valuable alternative to setting up a registered charity or charitable foundation.
Donations to the fund can be made on the dedicated Tim Stockdale Foundation JustGiving campaign. Supporters can also set up their own fundraising pages in the same place, to contribute to the Foundation. Other ways to give are listed below.
Tim represented Team GB at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, narrowly missing out on a medal by finishing fourth in the team event. He rode for GB more than 50 times in the Nations Cup, and also competed in the World Equestrian Games in 2002 and the European Championships in 2009. He also regularly worked as a BBC equestrian pundit.
He appeared on the BBC One reality TV show Only Fools on Horses, which raised money for Sport Relief.
He broke his neck in three places in a fall in training in 2011, but recovered to compete again at the top level. This is one example of how he lived by his motto, “There’s no such word as can’t!”
When Tim passed away the family were overwhelmed with letters and cards from hundreds of people that they had never met. They told us stories of the times they had met Tim and how he had made a difference to them. How he’d inspired them or encouraged them to do something. There were suggestions of how the family should try to remember Tim with charity ideas too.
This was how the foundation idea came about, Tim loved all sport and would have loved to be able to encourage anyone to take up some form of it. So the idea is that the foundation will help young people in any sport, whether it is helping them financially to get to their coach every week or helping with the kit, the foundation will try to help in anyway they can. The important thing is it will be for any young person trying to make their way in a sport they love.
Donations to the fund can be made:
“It is so uplifting to meet so many people blessed with generous hearts and a deep sense of community.”
“I really appreciate your work on what for my parents is such an important project. I am glad that the fund has been developing so positively and swiftly.”
“The huge satisfaction to be gained from spending one’s time in giving in your later years far outweighs any pleasures that you can possibly gain on the golf course, on the beach or on the back of the yacht in the Mediterranean sipping martinis.”
“I like to have something worthwhile to get up for each morning… I find that the larger and more strategic the gift, the more pleasure I get out of it.”
“Working with OCF is the simple way to give to the themes I care about the most. I would never have known about many of the causes I’ve helped without them. They are doing vital work and they need our support.”
“I’ve lived in Oxfordshire for many years, and feel I’ve benefited greatly from being in such a thriving and interesting place. Leaving a legacy to OCF in my will is my way of repaying this – and I also trust that they will understand exactly where funds are needed in years to come. Having seen small voluntary sector groups come and go, I find this longevity very reassuring.”
“When you become wealthy and you have a lot of money, you’re starting to think about giving it away on a slightly industrial scale! Even if you give away the same percentage as ordinary people, you’re giving away larger sums of money so the way you’re going to do it is different.”
“As a partner, OCF provide a mechanism which allows us to channel our philanthropic investment directly into the heart of the projects we care about.”
“I opened a fund with OCF because of their knowledge, expertise and extensive contacts. I wanted to be part of it, to make my dream come true in helping the very young – the fund encompasses everything I’ve done in the past and expands the impact I’ve achieved”.
“OCF’s knowledge and resources drive real change. They unlock the power of community, allowing people to feel more connected to those around them, and for all who live in Oxfordshire to have better lives.”
“I am delighted that via our fund with OCF we can join together with other donors to support causes we are all passionate about. It means we can do more good by working as a collective.”
“OCF has been a key partner in delivering efficient, effective and independent rounds of community funding. Their evidence-based approach and broad reach into the community sector has helped us deliver support across Oxfordshire’s communities in a way that is transparent as well as fast.”
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