Julian O’Dell Supporting Action Against Cancer 22 Jun 2020
Julian O'Dell's annual fundraiser
Highly regarded estate agency trainer, consultant and columnist Julian O’Dell’s annual fundraiser music festival Catfest https://www.catfestevent.com/ has proved to be a huge success over the past few years, so much so that it has become one of the premier social events in the property industry calendar. Last year’s Catfest raised £52,607 for Action Against Cancer (over £160,000 over the past few years) and the aim was to beat that total this year. Unfortunately, Catfest 2020 has now been postponed until August 2021. Info here https://www.catfestevent.com/
Team O'Dell are resolute in continuing
Julian’s wife Cat has been fighting the disease for exactly 10 years (her first confirmed diagnosis was in June 2010) and is currently in the “extremely vulnerable” category, so the couple have been self-isolating since early March. The disease has worsened during lockdown but Team O’Dell are resolute in continuing to refuse to allow it to get the better of them.
My main focus is to protect Cat's mental health
Julian says “I have spent so much time on the road running training courses over the past 20+ years that lockdown at least has the positive element of me sleeping in my own bed and spending more time with Cat in three months than I often do in an entire year. My main focus of course has been to protect her mental and physical health as best I can. Not having to stay away several nights a week means that role is more straightforward than previously. That aspect of lockdown at least has been marvellous.”
He adds that extra time at home has also afforded him the opportunity for a great deal of thinking and planning to maximise the next Catfest’s success.
100 Hitmakers Against Cancer
A separate fundraising idea that will form part of Catfest’s income is “100 Hitmakers Against Cancer” – a unique project that involves Julian getting a series of guitars, that have been donated by well-wishers, signed by the great and the good of the music industry. He reached a total of 87 signatures before the virus hit, including Brian May, Jools Holland, Stereophonics, Craig David, Mel C, Gary Numan, Midge Ure, Lulu and Ronan Keating. More info can be found here https://www.facebook.com/100-Hitmakers-Against-Cancer-103162297810205/ or at the website https://www.hitmakersagainstcancer.co.uk/
It will be brought to an end when the target is reached
Many of the stars have been keen to sit and chat about his project and the charity – in some cases for an hour or more. Julian describes it as “hard work, lots of driving but great to meet some fabulous music stars and even occasionally get put onto the guest list for their next gig!”
“100 Hitmakers Against Cancer” will be brought to an end when the target is reached – it is just 13 short of the 100 mark so there is plenty of time to get to the magic number.
Julian draws pictures of renowned musicians
Julian’s third charity project is the sale of his original artworks which have raised in excess of £35,000 in the past 4 years or so. He draws pictures of renowned musicians, frames them and advertises them on social media. In recent times, he has drawn some of the guitar signatories and got their autographs on the drawings at the same time. The pictures are thus unique gifts for fans and thankfully they sell well. In a pre-Covid world, Julian used his evenings away on business to undertake his artistic pastime. “A far better way of spending a wet Tuesday evening in a soulless Doncaster hotel room than watching rubbish television or pottering about on the internet” he observes.
The cutting edge programmes that they fund
Action Against Cancer funds the development of cures for cancer at leading institutions such as Imperial College London and the University of Sussex. The cutting edge programmes that they fund focus on developing new diagnostics and treatments, to improve the survival prospects and quality of life for millions of cancer sufferers worldwide.
As cancer patients we all need help
Cat herself explains “As cancer patients, we all need hope. Research for cures or better treatment gives us that hope. We are therefore proud to support Action Against Cancer.”
If you would like to help Catfest by becoming a sponsor or supporter or if you can connect Julian with any renowned musician who would be prepared to sign a guitar, he can be reached at julianodell@live.co.uk or on 07718 634235.
