OCF’s Chief Executive and President were delighted to attend the service in Windsor, along with hundreds of representatives from communities in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Organiser The Oxford Foundation has recently set up a named fund with OCF to channel any fundraising.
We were saddened recently to hear that Eileen Cavalier, founder of the London College of Beauty Therapy and a friend of community foundations, passed away recently. Eileen spoke at our debate in November at the Oxford Union, making the case for the beauty industry’s philanthropic activity.
Representatives from 50 local companies attended the launch of the new responsible business group Reciprocate. At the event, which was generously sponsored by Reciprocate member Withy King and hosted by The Ashmolean, participants were inspired to work more collaboratively to help the local community.
As a finale to his year as High Sheriff, Tom Birch Reynardson has invited former Chief Secretary of the Treasury Jonathan Aitken to give a talk at the Said Business School. Convicted of perjury and imprisoned in 1999, he will share an insider’s understanding of why such a huge percentage of offenders return to jail.
A wide range of projects supported by OCF’s Sovereign Housing grant programme came together on Saturday to share their achievements with the Sovereign grants panel. The panel is made up of residents from the housing association’s properties in Oxfordshire, with grants being administered by the community foundation.
We celebrate our 21st birthday in 2016. As OCF comes of age, we want to build strong collaborations with partners who will be able to help us make an even bigger difference to Oxfordshire’s most vulnerable. Our event at the historic Broughton Castle will be the chance to hear from us and from eminent philosopher A.C.Grayling about the role of philanthropy in Oxfordshire today.
The first national Arts in Health Conference was an inspiring example of a proactive, preventative approach to addressing social problems. Charity ‘Arts Enterprise with a Social Purpose’ (Aesop) showcased a series of pioneering arts projects that had proven benefits to people with health difficulties.
The High Sheriff hosted an event in Oxford Crown Court last night to celebrate a programme that introduces young people to the world of the courts. The project is administered through a charitable fund held and managed by OCF.
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.
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.