(photograph taken at Mowgli Street Food in Oxford in early March, before the lockdown)

An Oxford restaurant is celebrating raising over £40,000 to help local cancer patients.

Staff and customers at Mowgli Street Food, based at the Westgate shopping centre, have raised the incredible sum for Oxford Hospitals Charity, since the opening in May 2018.

The Indian street food restaurant suggests customers add a discretionary £1 to their table’s bill, which is donated to support charitable projects at the Oxford Cancer Centre. Together all the £1 donations have now raised over £40,000.

The restaurant and charity planned to celebrate this incredible sum back in March and met before lockdown to take some photographs to mark the fundraising achievment.

With the approach of COVID-19, Mowgli took the decision to close all its restaurants in advance of the national lockdown – so celebrations were put on hold.

Nisha Katona, founder and CEO of Mowgli Street Food, said:

‘Our partnership with Oxford Hospitals Charity is so important to us, making such a difference to lives and giving hope when people need it most.

‘Charitable giving lies at the heart of our ethos, so every Mowgli adopts a House Charity who we grow alongside. The whole team here at Mowgli Oxford are always so excited to be working with such an incredible local institution and charity.

‘The team at Oxford Hospitals Charity are always keen to involve our teams, and our staff have become close to the charity, taking part in tours and visiting sites, as nothing inspires them more to raise money and support their home cause.

‘We are so inspired and motivated by the invaluable services that this charity provides for families across Oxfordshire.’

The Mowgli donation is funding a state of the art 3D printer for the Radiotherapy Department at the Churchill Hospital. The printer can create an exact mould of the area of body that will receive radiotherapy treatment – called a bolus - so that the cancer patient receives more targeted treatment. The 3D printed bolus is also created much more quickly than traditional methods, saving patients additional visits to hospital and vital NHS time.

The Mowgli Oxford team have visited the Cancer Centre at the Churchill several times and met with some of NHS staff to see first-hand how donations make a real difference at the hospital.

Churchill Hospital matron, Hayley Smith, said:  ‘We love the fact that the Mowgli team take such an interest in the cause they are supporting and have seen first-hand the impact their donation makes. 

‘Many local cancer patients receiving radiotherapy are going to directly benefit from this fabulous fundraising, so on behalf of the Oxford Cancer Centre team I’d like to say a very big thank you indeed to all the Mowgli customers and staff.’

Gemma Cole, Community Fundraising Manager for Oxford Hospitals Charity, added:  ‘What’s amazing is how very simple the Mowgli method of support is, and just how quickly the £1 donations add up. We are thrilled too that Mowgli has now re-opened and that this support can continue throughout the rest of 2020 – so even more local cancer patients will benefit from this generosity.’

Oxford Hospitals Charity supports four major hospitals across Oxfordshire – the John Radcliffe, Churchill, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Horton General Hospital. Donations fund specialist medical equipment and help make the hospital spaces more comfortable for patients and staff.

Mowgli Street Food is located on the Terrace of the Westgate Centre in Oxford www.mowglistreetfood.com 

To find out more about how Oxford Hospitals Charity makes a difference across the wards and departments of your local hospitals, get in touch with the team via the methods below.  Tel: 01865 743 444 Email: [email protected]  MAKE A DONATION NOW     OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT

Oxford Hospitals Charity (registered charity no 1175809) is the official charity supporting Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. www.hospitalcharity.co.uk