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Newsletter · Issue 01 · Autumn 2026
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Building Josh’s Legacy
As a state of being, grief has a unique energy. Sometimes it’s an energy that hangs heavy; it suffocates, slows and suppresses. At other times it roars fiercely, like a fire. An impulse to do and act, to make sense of it all by making a difference in any way that we can.
The incredible love and support we’ve received since the Thanksgiving has lit that fire, inspiring and moving us to build a legacy that Josh would be proud of. Josh wrote the first chapter of his life in the way he lived it. With courage, discipline, positivity and empathy. Taking these values as pillars we’ve begun to build the Foundation, writing the next chapter of his life. A way for us all to shape and define his legacy.
In this first edition of the Josh Davies Foundation newsletter we’re excited to share our updates with you. From general updates to projects we’ve started with charity partners and some fantastic early fundraising events.
Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving has given the Foundation huge momentum. We are deeply grateful for all the amazing support. We’d like to say an enormous thank you to everyone who went to such great lengths to either join in person or watch via the livestream. It has also given us the strength to continue to look for ways in which to remember Josh and to keep him with us as we navigate our new world.
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Putney Bridge
Josh’s Bench
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The bench
A spot by the river
Josh’s memorial bench is now in place. It’s overlooking the river, on the north west side of Putney Bridge, in the corner of Bishop’s Park. It has already become a focal point; a rendezvous for a walk or run, or just a place to sit and remember.
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Sunday Run Club
Open to everyone. Just turn up.
| When | 2nd Sunday of the month, 10:30am |
| Where | From the bench, along the river |
| Distance | Run or walk up to 5km |
| After | Coffee and a chat at the Clubhouse, Putney |
Get in touch to be added to the run club WhatsApp group.
A lovely way to keep in touch with many of Josh’s friends and colleagues. We would love to see you there.
| Next run: 8 November 2026 |
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Where we’ve got to
Charity Partners
Five partners and five ways we’re helping young people.
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01 · Adventure
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10 weeks
Expedition to South Africa, January 2027
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A bursary for the adventure of a lifetime
In August we spent a day interviewing candidates for the bursary that we are funding for the Raleigh International expedition to South Africa in January 2027. We really enjoyed being involved in the interviews and we were inspired to see how this 10-week trip will provide the adventure of a lifetime for young ‘Venturers’. A life-changing experience to build confidence and skills, enabling them to create positive change and access opportunities previously out of reach. In partnership with Raleigh we will follow and track their progress, and upon return to the UK we will support them in their next steps and in exploring their future career direction.
Raleigh International runs overseas expeditions for young people to work together on community, environmental and conservation projects around the world. Through activities and the skills they teach on their expeditions, Raleigh empowers young people to make meaningful change for themselves and for the world they live in.
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02 · Sport
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12 weeks
of holiday camps sponsored
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It’s more than just the sport
We are sponsoring 12 weeks of holiday camps for young people at the Greenhouse Centre in Marylebone throughout the 2026/27 academic year. The camps offer opportunities for young people to stay active, build trusted relationships, and access a safe and supportive environment during school breaks.
Greenhouse connects young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with a Coach Mentor who becomes that reliable, predictable person in their life. Through sport and mentoring the coaches provide daily support and encouragement, consistently showing up as a trusted adult in a young person’s life and in so doing help them build confidence, resilience and self-belief.
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03 · Music
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8
annual scholarships funded
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Scholarships, a songwriting award and a gig
Josh was known for being sporty, but music was also a big part of who he was. He was an avid listener and keen player, drawing friends to sing around the piano as he played.
Through the Rhythm Studio Foundation we are funding eight annual scholarships for young people who would not otherwise have the means to access music tuition. At The Rhythm Studio music school, they can learn guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and song production, while also getting experience playing in bands in front of live audiences.
The Rhythm Studio Foundation works with schools, hospitals and community groups to provide opportunities to economically underprivileged and socially disadvantaged young people who have limited access to music-making. They do this both through school programmes and through offering scholarships to The Rhythm Studio music school.
We are also funding the Josh Davies Songwriting Award, an annual prize for original compositions by young talents which was announced at the 20th anniversary concert held at Bush Hall in October. We are hoping to host a gig late next year with some of the current students and alumni. We would welcome everyone to join us, and perhaps to get up and play themselves…
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04 · Work & skills
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7+
young people into work, training or education
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Football & functional skills
We’re proud to be partnering with Street League to support the delivery of Functional Skills Academies in Sheffield, specifically ensuring that at least seven young people will end up in employment, training or education. We’ve chosen the Sheffield programme as the city was very close to Josh’s heart. One of his best friends grew up there and Josh visited on many occasions, becoming very fond of the city and the incredible outdoor activities available in the nearby Peak District.
Street League uses sport as a catalyst to engage young people who are unemployed, out of education, or facing significant barriers to work. Their Functional Skills Academies are 12-week programmes designed for young people in England to reach necessary proficiency in Maths and English and gain core skills such as CV writing. In addition, on completion of their qualifications they have access to a team who support them to move into jobs, apprenticeships or further education.
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05 · Writing
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1 week
fully funded writing residential, July 2027
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Young Writers in Residence
Josh always appreciated the value of a hand-written note, most often a heartfelt thank you or a cheeky birthday card. To honour this, we’re partnering with First Story to fund the Young Writers Residential in summer 2027. Each July, a group of 16 talented students are awarded fully funded places to attend a week-long residential. It’s an exceptionally valuable opportunity for aspiring young writers to develop their confidence and creativity.
First Story’s vision is a society that encourages and supports young people from all backgrounds to practise creative writing for pleasure, self-expression and agency. They believe everyone has a unique voice, a story to tell and a right to be heard. They have a flagship programme which places professional writers into secondary schools where they work intensively with students and teachers.
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September & October
Recent Fundraising
We are deeply honoured that so many have been keen to help raise money for the Foundation by challenging themselves in a way that we know Josh would approve of.
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01 · Saturday 26 September
Dads and daughters climb Kilimanjaro
Saturday 26 September, by pure coincidence, turned out to be a very memorable day for the Foundation. Starting their summit attempt in the early hours, Anthony Stalker and his three daughters Sophie, Sasha and Lucy, along with four other dads and daughters, set off to reach the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, an altitude of 5,895m. This was the culmination of a six-day adventure, with days of acclimatisation needed to ensure a safe and successful ascent. Stalks said “Summiting Mt Kilimanjaro was one of the hardest and most humbling things I have ever done… to do this with my three daughters and for all of us to arrive at the top together was more than I could ever have hoped for… Josh was a great walker, runner and outdoors person and for sure he was there pushing us all the way”. This was an extraordinary feat, both physically and also on the fundraising front with significant funds raised for four charities, including the Josh Davies Foundation. Thank you to Stalks and the whole team for all the effort you put into not just the climb but also the fundraising. Huge congratulations.
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02 · Saturday 26 September
Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge
Also on the 26th, and in the same spirit of scaling peaks and summits, Josh’s girlfriend Emily Rundle, along with two of Josh’s close friends, Isobel Slater and Georgia Beattie took on the arduous challenge of the Yorkshire Three Peaks trail, a 37km hike taking in the summits of three Yorkshire peaks and climbing 1,600m. After an 8-hour drive and a damp night of camping, the girls set off in the dark spending a large part of the day in wind, cloud and mist before the sun finally shone. They completed the trail in just over 11 hours, getting back comfortably in daylight and in time for well-earned beers. “We were absolutely blown away by everyone’s generosity… it was a long day, but full of laughs and great conversations… we definitely felt Josh cheering us on every time we managed to overtake someone,” Emily said. Josh would have been very proud and impressed by this great effort. Thank you to Emily, Izzy and Georgia for making such a huge effort to complete this and raise a significant amount of money for the Foundation.
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03 · Thursday 17 September
Scilly Swim Challenge
On 17th September, Ella Cairns and her sister Jimmy completed the ultimate island-hopping adventure: the Scilly Swim Challenge 2026. This took the girls on a 15-kilometre journey around the stunning archipelago – conquering five open-water swims, interspersed with walks across the rugged landscapes of each island to reach the next launch point. “Josh would have been so proud of every participant, and we know how much he would have loved this event,” said Ella. “It really pushed us to our limit, but we enjoyed every minute… the scenery, camaraderie and to be humbled by the vastness of the sea and the beauty of nature was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced… we both feel honoured to have swum and raised money for such a wonderful foundation and we’ll be back next year to raise more money.” An awesome effort, and a big shout out to Ella for winning the ‘Golden Cap’, the award given for tenacity, friendliness and all-round great vibes. Touchingly, in the awards ceremony Josh’s Foundation and its projects were mentioned. A huge thank you to the Cairns sisters for the money and awareness they raised.
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04 · September
Ruffer Calendar Challenge
And to round off a very full September, Josh's company Ruffer organised the now legendary ‘Calendar Challenge’. In September 2024, while he was training for the London Marathon, Josh decided to take on the Calendar Challenge. This involves running 1km on the 1st, 2km on the 2nd and so on, throughout the month. The first week lulls you into a false sense of security but when you get to the 27th, 28th, 29th etc., it’s beyond the capabilities of most ordinary folk. Cumulatively, it is 465km in the month, or 11 marathons. Josh’s colleagues at Ruffer took on the challenge in teams, each team having to complete the daily distance. With over 90 people taking part in 12 teams over the whole month, it was a fantastic and immersive event. Everyone got hooked on the tracking (we certainly did) generating great camaraderie and competitive spirit. On the final day, over 50 colleagues and friends met early at Josh’s Bench and ran or walked the final kilometres to the Ruffer office with a big breakfast spread waiting. Josh would have loved this, a very fitting way to remember him. Many congratulations to teams “Ops, We Did It Again” and "Run Ops Run" for topping the table, and a special mention to Martyn Cane, who completed the challenge all on his own. Thank you to Harvey East and the team at Ruffer, and to everyone who took part and helped make this event so special.
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05 · 11 October 2026
Oxford Half Marathon
And in October, our great friend Bill Maldonado challenged himself to run a half marathon, something he had never before contemplated doing. After weeks of serious and very disciplined training, Bill completed the route in style. The route took Bill past the gates of The Dragon School, Josh’s prep school. It was here that Bill found his second wind which propelled him to a very strong finish. “I felt Josh on my shoulder, willing me to the line,” a delighted Bill told us. Thank you, Bill, for putting yourself through all the pain. I can hear Josh say: maybe a full marathon next year…
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A huge thank you to everyone who went to such great lengths to achieve their goals in their various challenges, and for the incredible sums raised for Josh’s Foundation.
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Looking ahead to 2027
Looking ahead to the coming year, we’ll be tracking outcomes of current charity projects, seeing how we might deepen those relationships and exploring the possibility of a first official fundraising event. A number of you have reached out to us, suggesting ideas for next year, including cycle rides across Europe, long walks, golf days and many more, which is fantastic. It is wonderful to have so many friends willing to help us in this way and we welcome anyone who wants to start their own fundraising event. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by dropping us an email at antd888@gmail.com if you would like to discuss setting up your own fundraising event or challenge.
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Join us
Come along to the next Sunday run club on 8 November 2026, 10:30am at Josh’s bench. Please feel free to just turn up.
Every pound donated goes directly to funded causes. Prism’s fees are covered separately.
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joshdaviesfoundation.org ·
admin@joshdaviesfoundation.org
The Josh Davies Foundation is a restricted fund held by Prism the Gift Fund (UK registered charity no. 1099682). All Prism fees are covered separately, so donations go directly to funded causes.
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