OCF welcomes Laura Chapman and Lisa Compton as trustees, who bring a huge amount of charity and financial management expertise to the foundation. We are also saying a heartfelt thank you to David Astor and Ann Buchanan, who have now left the OCF Board after many years of dedicated hard work.
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.
OCF’s new responsible business initiative Reciprocate now has 40 local companies signed up. The group of businesses are committed to collaborating to support the local community more effectively, taking a proactive approach to addressing social problems.
Thanks to a potential trustee list held by Lord Lieutenant Tim Stevenson’s office, several charities have recruited new Board members with a wealth of experience, including OCVA, Community First Oxfordshire – and Oxfordshire Community Foundation!
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.
Chartered Accountant Katy joins us with an experienced financial background, including roles at EY and Wenn Townsend. She will bring vital financial management to support the staff and trustees as OCF grows.
As flooding continues to affect communities in Scotland and the North of England, a UK-wide appeal has been launched to support flood victims. Coordinated by umbrella body UK Community Foundations (UKCF), the appeal will benefit from match funding from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
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!