Comedy gala to raise money for Oxford children’s hospice
The event returns to the New Theatre Oxford for its second year
Last updated 9th Mar 2026
A comedy gala in Oxford will be supporting local children's hospice Helen & Douglas House this evening.
The event, at the New Theatre Oxford, is set to bring a range of stand-up comedians together for a one-night show raising money for the hospice's vital services, which provide care to children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Speaking at the event will be Daryl Cole, whose son Jago passed away at 18 months old due to an extremely rare genetic disorder.
Daryl, from Marsh Gibbon in Oxfordshire, said his family began using Helen & Douglas House in early 2024 after Jago was diagnosed with CACNA1E.
He said they were reluctant to go at first, but soon saw how beneficial it was for the family.
“We thought it was going to be a very sad and miserable place full of people going through really horrible things," Daryl said. “It’s the opposite of what you think.”
He explained how the hospice became a place where they could spend meaningful time together and create memories with Jago during the final months of his life.
“The biggest thing for us was that they understood where we were coming from,” Daryl said. “They didn’t see a diagnosis – they just saw him for who he was. They gave us space to be a family and for my daughter to be a child again.”
When asked about their experience at the Helen & Douglas House , Daryl said it is best captured through the eyes of his daughter.
“She would go to school and tell people it was a holiday home and a magical place with crafts and toys and all of her friends there that loved her,” he said. “By friends, really what she was talking about was the nursing staff.”
During his time at the hospice, Jago was able to take part in music sessions, spend time in the sensory room and meet animals brought into the gardens.
When Jago sadly passed in November 2024, Daryl said the staff continued to support the family afterwards.
"We were followed up and supported by the Helen & Douglas House bereavement team with several one-to-one sessions which helped us in the early stages to try and navigate our way through our grief," he said.
Since Jago passed, the family and their friends have continued fundraising for the hospice, including completing the Three Peaks Challenge in 24 hours and organising a memorial football match.
Daryl said speaking at the comedy gala was an opportunity to help raise awareness of the hospice and the support it provides.
“I didn’t even know it was there before all of this,” he said. “But they need to raise around £6 million a year just to keep their doors open and only about 10 per cent of that comes from the government.
“That’s why events like this are so important.”
The gala will be hosted by comedian Matt Richardson and features a line-up including Ed Byrne, Zoe Lyons, Fin Taylor, Andrew Bird, Laura Smyth, Scott Bennett and Ester Manito.
Matt, who first became involved with the hospice in 2012 through its long-running ‘Childish Things’ comedy nights, said the event is a way of supporting a charity that has a major impact on local families.
He said: "I think almost everyone in Oxfordshire knows someone who has been touched by the incredible work Helen & Douglas House do, so it was a no brainer to organize a second Comedy Gala.
“Last year’s show was such a special, hilarious and wonderful evening, I cannot wait to do it all again. It’s going to be bigger and better than last year and I cannot wait."