Oxfordshire Community Foundation has awarded 13 new grants through its Thriving in Nature Fund, supporting grassroots organisations that connect people with nature to improve wellbeing, inclusion and opportunity.
Now in its second year, the fund is made possible thanks to the generosity of a collective of philanthropists and funding bodies. It focuses on projects that enhance mental health, build rural skills and expand access to green spaces – especially for those who face barriers to enjoying the natural environment.
This year’s grants total £250,000, reaching communities across Oxfordshire. Funded projects include therapeutic gardening, outdoor learning, nature-based youth programmes and inclusive green space initiatives. Many are led by small, locally rooted organisations working in areas of deprivation or with marginalised groups.
Examples of funded work include:
– Bridewell Gardens in West Oxfordshire, which offers structured horticultural therapy for adults recovering from serious mental illness. The grant will support its unique two-year recovery programme, helping participants rebuild confidence and move towards employment or volunteering.
– Bridge Street Community Garden in Banbury, which will run inclusive gardening and wellbeing sessions for refugee families, people experiencing homelessness and the wider community. The project fosters connection, skill-building and belonging through nature.
– Roots Radical Learning CIO, based in East Oxford, which provides outdoor education for children excluded from mainstream schooling. The grant will fund a Community Coordinator and site improvements to expand access for underrepresented families.
– TRAIN – Inspiring Young People, which will run two residential sailing voyages for disadvantaged teenagers in South Oxfordshire. These immersive nature experiences help build resilience, teamwork and aspiration.
– GroW Families, working in Wantage and Grove, which will deliver outdoor sessions for families with young children. Activities like nature hunts and mud kitchens offer a calming alternative to indoor groups and promote early development.
Other funded organisations include Sunrise Multicultural Project, Letcombe Brook Project, Proud To Be Me CIC, Stonehill Co-housing, T(ART) Productions, Friends of St John Fisher, Wild About Wallingford and The Branch Trust. Together, they represent a diverse range of approaches – from forest schools and community allotments to creative workshops and nature walks – all rooted in the belief that access to nature should be inclusive and transformative.
In addition to the 13 charitable groups that were able to be funded, the OCF grants panel approved a reserve list of eight excellent applications which we would dearly like to support, but for which we don’t currently have funds. This reserve lists totals just over £200k. Any further donations to the fund will now support this reserve list.