Since the Government’s ‘everyone in’ initiative in response to COVID-19, partners in Oxfordshire Homeless Movement have worked tirelessly to keep people off the streets. Oxford City Council and partners have now helped more than 250 former rough sleepers into settled housing since the outbreak of the pandemic.
School children going back to school will need laptops to support them with their learning.
OCF continues to support the local community into 2021 with COVID-19 grants for tackling the causes of homelessness and supporting the recovery of young families. Grants, totalling over £268,000, were made from our Community Resilience Fund, set up in April 2020.
Nick Case formally took the Chair in March 2020, in an interim capacity, just days after COVID-19 was identified as a global pandemic and shortly before OCF was set to launch a range of events to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Here he reflects on his time in the role.
As temporary accommodation at Canterbury House had to be handed back, five people with no recourse to public funds were at risk of returning to rough sleeping. Thanks to a rapid response from University College and other partners in Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, these people are now safely housed.
Glyn Benson has stepped down from the OCF Trustee Board after 17 years. All of the team and Board wish to thank Glyn for her huge contribution to OCF and for continuing in her voluntary role on our Grants Panel.
The Bishop takes up the honorary role in support of OCF’s work to improve lives by addressing social and economic disadvantage in Oxfordshire, and is committed to building stronger relationships between the Anglican Diocese and local communities.
UK Community Foundations launches report on the impact of the pandemic on local Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations and their communities.
Ian will bring extensive business and consultancy experience to OCF, alongside his passion for local communities, which was cemented in his roles on the boards of the local Clinical Commissioning Group and a school academy trust.
We are pleased to welcome Mundher to OCF, who has just completed his first year at Oxford University. He will work primarily on our Getting Oxfordshire Online initiative during his five-week placement.