Double 'O' (Double 'O' Charity, Ltd.) is a charity established by the rock group

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

in 1976. Operation of the charity was assumed by

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

in 1983 when band initially retired from active touring. The trust disburses funds for such causes as relief of drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence and sexual abuse. It also provides funds for music education, emergency disaster relief and young people's prison reform.

History

The primary objective of the trust is to make grants towards the relief of poverty, preservation of health and the advancement of education. Double 'O' was originally established to help fund the

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women's refuges A women's shelter, also known as a women's refuge and battered women's shelter, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used to ...

founded by family care activist

Erin Pizzey Erin Patria Margaret Pizzey (; born 19 February 1939) is an English ex-feminist, Men's rights activist and advocate against domestic violence, and novelist. She is known for having started the first and currently the largest domestic violence s ...

. Later The Who performed concerts to benefit Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. After Townshend took over Double 'O' in 1983, he used it for support of drug rehab charities, the

Prince's Trust The Prince's Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth y Tywysog) is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) to help vulnerable young people get their lives on track. It supports 11-to-30-year-olds who are u ...

and

Rock Against Racism Rock Against Racism (RAR) was a political and cultural movement which emerged in 1976 in reaction to a rise in racist attacks on the streets of the United Kingdom and increasing support for the far-right National Front at the ballot box. Betwe ...

. Townshend formed the band Deep End in 1985 and put on two charity concerts at the

Brixton Academy Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...

through Double 'O' Promotions. In 1986 Double 'O' Productions put on the Columbian Volcano Relief Concert, and in 2000, the charity held an Internet auction to benefit the

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

earthquake disaster. In 1999 the charity made a large donation to the Landsdowne House Alcohol Advisory Unit (The Chaucer Clinic in

West Ealing West Ealing is a district in the London Borough of Ealing, in West London. The district is about west of Ealing Broadway. Although there is a long history of settlement in the area, West Ealing in its present form is less than one hundred years ...

). In 2005 The Who performed in

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raising funds for Double 'O' as part of the children's charity event Four Seasons of Hope, sponsored by

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

. Other beneficiaries of the charity include: the

Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. It ...

, Arvon Foundation, Bedales School, Chemical Dependency, Children of Chiswick, Granada Disaster, Lifeworks Community, Orleans House Gallery,

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, the Promise, Spirit of Recovery and Yabsley Exhibitions. In 2008 the band raised funds for

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

charity K9 Connection, auctioning off the chance to be a Who roadie for a day. In 2009 a portion of The Who's Melbourne Grand Prix concert revenues in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

was donated for brush fire relief. After 1989 the funds available increased because of The Who's return to active touring. Proceeds of The Who's Encore Series CD sales begun in 2002 go to the Double 'O' Charity. In recent years a portion of revenue generation has moved to the Internet.

Disbursements

In 2010, the charity trust had disbursed about £4,000,000 since inception, and has been responsible for the disbursal of a similar amount through Double 'O' Promotions. To date Double "O" has generously donated a sum in excess of 4.0 million to Worldwide charitable organizations

References

External links

* {{The Who Health charities in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1976 Charities based in London Pete Townshend