Joe Collins Memorial Fund launched in Ovenden

Over 50 family members, friends, local residents and former colleagues attended the event to share memories of Joe and to launch the fund, which will be used to support facilities for young people at the hub and to reward some of their achievements through a designated Young Achiever Award.

Joe Collins was a lifelong resident of north Halifax. His former colleague, Dave Cooper, said: “It was a great opportunity to celebrate Joe’s career. He had been an inspirational leader of staff in the youth and community service for many years.

"His contributions to the services available to young people and local communities have been outstanding and spread across the whole of Calderdale over many years.

"It is good that he will be remembered through the fund named after him.”

Steve Smith, secretary of the Ovenden Sports and Community Arena Foundation, said: “Joe was a founding member of OSCA. He had great vision for the wellbeing of people through social contact and sporting activities.

"He helped to secure a number of grants which transformed the building and facilities at Forest Cottage. It is fitting that part of the centre is named the Joe Collins Hub.”

During the launch of the fund, Denise Collins unveiled a plaque inside the Joe Collins Hub and Simon Collins thanked Marshall’s for providing the entrance stone, Scribblestone for engraving it, Creative International Adventures for designing the fund’s publicity leaflets and Ovenden Printing Company for producing them.

John Fisher, the Chair of OSCA, thanked those people who have helped in the development of OSCA and the asset transfer of the community centre. He reminded everyone about the ways they could assist OSCA in the future – not only do they need financial support but also practical help with the building and the grounds used by numerous sporting and community groups.

John can be contacted at [email protected].

Contributions to the fund can be made through OSCA’s bank account (sort code 05 04 09, a/c number 18051024), or to the treasurer, OSCA Foundation, Forest Cottage Community Centre, Cousin Lane, Ovenden, HX2 8AD.

There is also a fundraising page at www.gofundme/f/the-joe-collins-memorial-fund.

For more information email [email protected] or [email protected].