April 4th 2022
Congratulations to Harry Ollis (a 19) who was awarded the Rising Star, Young Entrepreneur Award at the 2022 Sherborne Business Awards on 24 February to recognise his work with the Sherborne Community Kitchen during COVID.
The Community Kitchen was set up on 25 March 2020 by Jill Warburton with the help of Jane from Olivers Coffee House, in Sherborne. Worried that people might not be getting a proper meal each day, Jill started sending out 12 meals a day to frail and vulnerable people in Sherborne and the surrounding villages. Harry started volunteering in early April and just a few months later they were sending out up to 100 meals a day. In August 2020, Harry was appointed as co-manager of the kitchen. Between March 2020 and January 2022 when the delivery service ended they delivered over 30,000 meals.
In April 2021 the Sherborne Community Kitchen was a fast-growing charity with a team of 45 volunteers including 25 drivers, 10 packers, eight callers and two chef teams, who had made, packed, and delivered thousands of meals. As co-manager, Harry was “one of the driving forces of the charity”, involved in all aspects of its operations from GDPR and safeguarding, recruitment, finance, stock intake, customer services and building management. His dedication, and that of the founders and fellow volunteers, to make sure the charity grew and succeeded was rewarded in 2021 when the Community Kitchen was awarded the prize for Best Community Support in the inaugural Sherborne Business Awards.
Harry was nominated for the Rising Star, Young Entrepreneur award by one of the ex-trustees of the charity who as Harry said, “With his expertise, he must have felt like he recognised good qualities in me that show skills entrepreneur’s need. But also saw my time and dedication I have given to the charity to ensure it succeeds and runs smoothly”.
Harry volunteered at the Charity until January 2022. Today, The Community Kitchen goes from strength to strength providing healthy, locally sourced, cooked meals to people in Sherborne and the surrounding area. With the easing of COVID restrictions they now focus on providing freshly cooked sit-down meals every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at their base in Sherborne. For every two people who pay £6 each for a freshly cooked two-course lunch a vulnerable person receives a free lunch.
Reflecting on what he has learnt through working in the Community Kitchen, Harry said “There are so many things that I have learnt from helping to run a charity, and I can’t express how much of a better and more mature person it has made me. If I have to point out one of the most impactful things for me is that you never know where an opportunity will lead, so when you are given one, go for it. One the greatest things you can do is helping other people who aren’t as fortunate, so if you can do that, even if it just volunteering an hour a week, do it. It will make you a better person.”
At the time of writing Harry is hoping to go to Southampton University to study business analytics to learn more about the theory side of business. Looking further ahead Harry says, “After my degree I am really not sure what I want to do. Maybe go into teaching, maybe go into business or maybe I will go back to the charity sector and do something abroad.” We are sure that whatever he decides to do Harry will pursue it with determination and enthusiasm.
Anne Macfarlane
Alumni Officer, Old Shirburnian Society
