Ollie passed away after a courageous battle with a rare blood disorder in 2022, and Creating Nature’s Corridor founder, Vhari Russell - who is also the founder of The Food Marketing Experts Ltd, became friends with the family after meeting at NCT classes and in the maternity wing of Hinchingbrooke Hospital - wanted to commemorate Ollie’s life by creating a lasting legacy.
June 2024: A 350-tree woodland area was formally unveiled on Tuesday 4th June at Huntingdon racecourse by Cambridgeshire-based rewilding charity, Creating Nature’s Corridors, in memory of former Samuel Pepys (St Neots) pupil Ollie Oldham who would have turned 18 this week.
Ollie passed away after a courageous battle with a rare blood disorder in 2022, and Creating Nature’s Corridor founder, Vhari Russell - who became friends with the family after meeting at NCT classes and in the maternity wing of Hinchingbrooke Hospital - wanted to commemorate Ollie’s life by creating a lasting legacy.
The British native trees, a combination of alder, silver birch, grey willow, white willow, black polar, and hawthorn were planted by a team of 80 volunteers in a plot spanning a third of an acre in March The ‘Ollie’s Wood’ sign was painted by local art teacher Catherine Harness, as well as by Vhari’s daughters Grace, and Olivia, who were both friends with Ollie.
Commenting on the official unveiling of the wood, Vhari said, “I started Creating Nature’s Corridors following the untimely death of my brother from Adult Sudden Death Syndrome as I wanted to mark his passing with a positive contribution to the natural environment that he loved. I hope that Ollie’s family, can benefit from the healing associated with being at one with nature and spending time in the wood and watching it mature, and that they are able to remember the happy times with Ollie who so loved spending time in the great outdoors. Special thanks go to ‘Shep’ at Intoto Property who kindly made the sign for the wood and to everybody who so generously donated their time to help get the trees planted.”
