Grants totalling £36k have now been made to the hard-hitting charities, which tackle issues as diverse as mental health for young people, genetic health conditions, homelessness, sexual abuse, unemployment, cancer support, loneliness and isolation, and palliative care.
The funds were raised by 33 organisations from the local business community and over 500 donors in their networks, as part of B4’s Raise’24 initiative. Raise’24 was a collective fundraising effort that culminated in a spectacular event on 13th December at Keble College.
Donations were made into the B4 Raise Fund, a named fund held and managed by local grant-making charity Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) on behalf of B4, This enabled donations and Gift Aid to be collected following good governance.
Funds raised have been split into six equal parts and distributed between five ‘Gold’ charity partners, which each received a grant of £6k: Oxfordshire Youth, Homeless Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire Community Foundation, Plunkett UK and Sobell House Hospice. The sixth portion was shared between five smaller ‘Silver’ charities, which each received a grant of £1.2k: Be Free Young Carers, DEBRA UK, Survivor Space Oxfordshire, Connection Support and Pancreatic Cancer UK.
Promoting unrestricted funding
The B4 Raise Fund is proud to make unrestricted funding available to the grantee charities, in line with best practice. Unrestricted funding means the charities can spend the funding as they see fit, rather than being allocated to a specific project or cost. This helps charities use their expertise and discretion to meet their most pressing needs, whether that be the cost of staff to deliver their hard-hitting work; premises to host meetings and workshops; or a new project that others may not fund.
B4’s CEO Richard Rosser, the brains behind Raise’24, says: “Just like any small business, small charities need funding for their core operations, in particular their dynamic, committed staff, many of whom our members have got to know as part of Raise’24. It is clear that our local charities are providing absolutely critical services in the heart of the communities in which we all live and work, and they deserve our backing.”
Kate Parrinder, Deputy CEO at OCF, says: “Unrestricted funding is the gold standard way for people who care to support the causes that matter to them. We are so pleased that Richard has the insight and trust in local charities to give them the kind of support they really need, at a time when their costs have increased massively, as have the needs for their services.”
Tim Wraith, Partnerships Fundraising Manager at Homeless Oxfordshire, says: “Our objective is always for residents to leave our care and live independently. We cannot make this happen without the expertise of skilled staff; professional management of our accommodation; and a stable, long-term strategic approach. An unrestricted grant from the B4 Raise Fund is a vote of support for the work we do to help people experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives, and one of the best ways for businesses to make a positive impact in their local community.”
Emmy O’Shaughnessy, Deputy CEO at Oxfordshire Youth, says: “Unrestricted funding is the most powerful tool you can give us, allowing us to address the whole ecosystem that supports young people. It is an investment in our expertise and vision, giving us the courage to tackle root causes rather than just symptoms. Every pound of unrestricted funding leverages our deep community knowledge and professional experience to maximise impact. Thank you for understanding that behind every successful youth programme is an organisation that needs your support to remain strong, responsive and effective for years to come.”
Lauren Kendall, CEO at Survivor Space Oxfordshire, says: “At a time when the funding landscape is really bleak, getting unrestricted funding makes a huge difference to small charities like Survivor Space, and will allow us to continue providing the transformative support we offer to survivors of sexual violence.”
Another of the grantee charities, Be Free Young Carers, has almost doubled the value of their funding from B4 Raise’24 by securing £1,000 in match funding from The Big Give. This will back their vital work supporting young carers in Oxford city, South Oxfordshire and the Vale. In 2025, B4 and OCF will be seeking an individual or funder to match the whole of this year’s fundraising.
Plans are now afoot for Raise’25, where eight of the same charities will be supported again, alongside two new silver charities to be announced shortly. Local businesses and their staff can support this powerful collective fundraising campaign by entering individually or as a team. All we ask is for you to pledge to do all you can to raise £500 per person, helping us reach a more ambitious target of £50k for these amazing charities.