The Beacon Awards for philanthropy were announced at a glittering ceremony at Mansion House last week, with 12 people recognised for their generosity, innovation and collaboration. OCF supporters Jane Wates OBE and Monawar Hussain were amongst those shortlisted, in the company of winners Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Vivienne Westwood.
Reciprocate members and staff from Oxfordshire Community Foundation joined over 950 delegates at yesterday’s Business in Oxford conference at The King’s Centre in Oxford. Delegates enjoyed seminars on a wide range of topics, including a session on corporate social responsibility sponsored by Reciprocate member Unipart.
We are delighted to be sponsoring the volunteer category at this year’s OCVA Awards ceremony. The awards recognise the many individuals who give thousands of hours of their time to helping others in Oxfordshire.
OCF’s Chief Executive Jayne Woodley contributed towards an event run by the Oxford Diocese on Wednesday about homelessness in Thames Valley. Attendees were asked to consider how the church can respond to rising numbers of rough sleepers and soaring rents and house prices.
OCF recently commissioned a team from Oxford University’s Student Consultancy to research the scope and impact of local government funding cuts on the charitable sector. OCF plans to use the findings to direct funds towards the areas of greatest need in Oxfordshire.
The new High Sheriff Jane Cranston, who picks up the baton from Sarah Taylor, will focus her time and energies on a new theme for the coming year: that of justice and fairness of opportunity.
SOFEA, a social enterprise that employs disadvantaged young people in its food redistribution centre, benefited from collaborative funding coordinated by OCF. The equipment purchased has enabled them to triple the amount of food they can pass on to local charities.
Oxfordshire Community Foundation is working with funding platform The Good Exchange in a bid to forge new partnerships with charitable trusts, local authorities and social investment partners, and provide complementary funding to charities doing great work in the county.
OCF’s volunteer trustees held their Board meeting at Oxford Homeless Pathways last night, allowing them to see and hear more about why so many people locally become homeless, and what can be done to help them.
At the end-of-festival celebration dinner on Monday, Jayne paid tribute to some of the local women working with OCF to alleviate the suffering of others, from helping the children of prisoners, to promoting restorative justice, to addressing mental health issues.