December was filled with festive activities at Sobell House and plenty more fundraising events are planned for the hospice in the new year.

Numerous fundraising events took place, and a pop-up studio in the Westgate Centre hosted artist David Melling as he painted an ox titled 'Orox', for Oxford's art trail.

As part of the ongoing OxTrail campaign, Sobell House along with partners and sponsors, will be selecting 28 more designs to feature across Oxford this summer, to go along with 'Orox' and 'Oxley', which have already been chosen.

With more than 200 designs submitted, narrowing the field has been a challenge.

The final selection will remain confidential until the grand reveal in July.

Sobell House’s Winter Walk will make a return on March 3 in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.

The 4.2km route, suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs and dogs, provides participants with a fantastic day out against the backdrop of the palace.

A 20 per cent discount in ticket prices is currently available until the end of January.

Tickets for the event can be found here, with parking being free.

Another of the upcoming fundraising events is 'The Inflatables' gig at the Waggon and Horses in Southmoor on February 24.

Oxford Mail: The Inflatables are putting on a gig at Waggon and Horses in SouthmoorThe Inflatables are putting on a gig at Waggon and Horses in Southmoor (Image: The Inflatables)

The gig is to honour Alan Whitbread who passed away last year.

The ska and reggae night promises to be vibrant and entertaining with all proceeds going to Sobell House, and tickets costing £10.

For jazz fans, The Velvet Tones are planning a Big Band Jazz double header night on January 18.

Featuring the GTC Band from Green Templeton College, the event takes place at The Oxford Golf Club on Hill Top Road in Cowley at 8pm.

Entry to the event is free, but attendees can contribute to funds for the hospice through a raffle and collection.

Taking on an immense challenge, Phil Strongman, after losing his best friend Geraint 'Taff' Owen at Sobell House in November, plans to cycle 8,000 miles over 2024, with donations going to the hospice.

Representing the distance between RAF Brize Norton and Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands, this means an average of 22 miles a day.

Finally, an insight into the day-to-day operations of Sobell House is being provided by Eve Campbell, a patient support worker, who shared a 'day in the life' account.

Her narrative serves as a touching reminder of the hard work that the patient support workers do daily to ensure the comfort of patients in their own homes.

More information can be found on the Sobell House website.