Our top ten highlights of 2015!
2015 has been a year of big numbers, big events, big characters and big ideas. From boosts in grant-making to well deserved awards, we’ve achieved a lot – and have even bigger ambitions for 2016!
OCF office closed from Christmas eve until the New Year
We will be closed during the Christmas and New Year period. The team at OCF wishes you a merry Christmas and encourages you to consider making a gift to the local community this festive season.
Community foundations across Europe respond to the refugee crisis
Community foundations in Europe have been working together to react to the refugee crisis, with a pan-European collaboration and a new UK-based charitable fund established to support frontline care and longer-term integration into our communities.
The Funding Network 2016 is open for nominations
Crowdfunding initiative The Funding Network will be holding its next event at the Old Fire Station in Oxford on 5th May 2016, and is now looking for nominations for local charitable projects to pitch for £4,000 in funding to an audience of donors.
Reciprocate responsible business group welcomes First Line IT amongst 30 members
OCF’s corporate engagement initiative now boasts 30 members, including Allen Associates, Withy King, Unipart, Bicester Village and Finders Keepers – and now First Line IT. One of the group’s first projects will be to audit the existing community activities of its members as a benchmark for future achievements.
OCF hosts new OxSPA fund to help more people in the county become physically active
Oxfordshire Sport and Physical Activity (OxSPA) has launched a new charitable fund, hosted by OCF – saving OxSPA the cost and hassle of establishing their own charity. OxSPA aims to increase participation in sport and physical activity in Oxfordshire, and the OxSPA Trust is its new charitable arm.
Surviving Winter evolves to encompass health and wellbeing
Donors used to gifting their Winter Fuel Payment to the community foundation’s Surviving Winter appeal can now donate to our new Health and Wellbeing Fund, which has a wider remit to support anyone living in Oxfordshire in isolation, leading to loneliness and ill health.
OCF “Highly commended” at the Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards
The awards recognised dynamic and successful organisations in the Thames Valley, and in particular those who had excelled against their business plans in the past year. OCF was a finalist for Charity of the Year, which was won by Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
The house endorses doing good over looking good at a “roaringly successful” Oxford Union debate
Speakers for the opposition defeated the motion at our debate on Tuesday, as a 380-strong audience voted against the suggestion that “there is nothing wrong with spending more on looking good than doing good”.
New business initiative Reciprocate will help companies support charities more effectively
The new responsible business group Reciprocate will be hosted by Oxfordshire Community Foundation, and aims to help the local business community become more strategic in their thinking about community engagement, realising their good intentions through the power of many.