Our Story
Joshy’s Heart Of Gold
Following the tragic death of 11 year old Josh Osborne in April 2019 killed in a hit and run by an elderly driver on Court Road, Orpington, Kent, Josh's Mum Victoria Battman was determined to set up a charity to help other families who had lost a child or their child had been seriously injured in an accident.
Through her own family's experience following Josh's death Victoria realised that once they had left the Royal London Hospital where Josh had been airlifted to they were just left to deal with their grief alone. By establishing this charity the main aim is to be there at that terrible time to "scoop" up the families and help in anyway they can. Whether it be in offering support, counselling, financial help for the hospital stay - i.e. food and car parking vouchers and contacting the various organisations that a bereaved family would be directed to just to take some of that burden away from them. Just to be there for the families if needed and wanted at the most unimaginable darkest of times and help them begin to come to terms with their tragic loss.
The Charity took over 2 years to set up because of Covid and several of the planned fundraising events had to be cancelled. It was long journey but one with the determination of Victoria and a small team of helpers managed to finally get approval from the Charity commission in November 2021. To date over £7,000 has been raised which considering most of this took place during a pandemic which made it all the more challenging! Currently some of this money raised is earmarked for a family room at the Royal London Hospital a quiet comfortable space furnished and designed by JHOG attached to the children intensive care ward and somewhere for the family to stay during their child's stay there.