Supporting Sobell House Hospice: OxTrail Maintenance Partners

Summary:

As the official Maintenance Partners for Sobell House Hospice’s OxTrail, ODS was proud to provide complimentary cleaning services for the large oxen sculptures displayed across Oxford during the eight-week event. Our team worked diligently to ensure that each sculpture remained in pristine condition, enhancing the experience for both residents and visitors to enjoy the OxTrail, while supporting Sobell House’s fundraising efforts.

This project went beyond routine weekly cleaning; it involved careful logistical planning to navigate the city’s busy streets, including overcoming the challenges posed by the Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ). Additionally, our team tackled tough stains to keep the oxen looking their best.

Challenge:

One of our primary challenges was efficiently planning routes to clean all the oxen, especially those located in the busy city centre, where access was further restricted by the ZEZ. Navigating this area required careful consideration, as only certain vehicles are permitted. Beyond this, coordinating our teams effectively was essential, given that the sculptures were spread across both the densely populated city centre and more widespread locations, each demanding a different approach for access and cleaning.

The variety of cleaning tasks added another layer of complexity. We encountered everything from bird droppings, coffee stains and stickers, to more difficult issues like graffiti. These challenges required specialised cleaning techniques and materials, making adaptability and thorough preparation essential for every situation.

Solution:

We strategically utilised our electric cleaning vehicle, permitted within the ZEZ. This allowed us to access and maintain the oxen sculptures in the busy, restricted city centre. Our teams were organised into two specialised groups: one, with the electric vehicle, focused on the city centre, while the other used a standard vehicle for sculptures in more dispersed areas.

Careful route planning and scheduling ensured regular cleaning, despite varying distances and traffic, and a well-maintained OxTrail throughout the summer.

Feedback:

"One of the challenges of putting on an art sculpture trail across Oxford was keeping the sculptures clean for the 8-week trail. ODS approached us to offer their support and we were delighted to accept. We had hoped that a weekly clean for each sculpture would be sufficient, but with their experience of keeping Oxford's streets sparklingly clean ODS planned more regular visits to maintain the trail. The sculptures looked fantastic throughout the trail. We experienced some damage, graffiti, stickers, footprints (from visitors trying to climb the sculptures on their nights out), but with the regular cleaning programme, sculptures were returned to their best in less than 24 hours. A truly remarkable achievement given the scale of the trail and dispersed locations! Thank you ODS for keeping OxTrail looking its best, we have loved working with you!"

Nikki Gracey, Relationships Fundraising Manager, Sobell House Hospice Charity