OCF brought together Thriving in Nature grantees and donors for a celebration and learning event at Asthall Manor, to recognise the impact already being seen from the inaugural 2024 grants.
Thanks to the support of a committed cohort of donors and funders, Oxfordshire Community Foundation’s (OCF) first ever round of Thriving in Nature grants were paid in August 2024, with multi-year grants totalling £494k given to 14 small local charities. We were delighted to bring together representatives from the grantee organisations as well as the donors and funders at the Thriving in Nature Celebration and Learning event held this week.
Funded through the generous sponsorship of leading local law firm RWK Goodman, the event saw over 60 guests immersed in the tranquil surroundings of Asthall Manor overlooking the Windrush Valley in West Oxfordshire for a day of engaging and insightful conversation. Networking, panel discussions and workshops took place, combined with a delightful lunch in the stunning grounds, all leading to a hugely valuable day.
The charitable organisations were able to bring their funding to life, sharing heart-warming stories of the impact they have seen with the people they work with, as well as the challenges and unexpected benefits of implementing their grant-funded work.
Chris from Rose Hill Junior Youth Club shared: “As soon as we pick up a group from primary school they have big smiles on their faces. When they reach the allotment and begin working in the garden they start opening up and talking about what is going on in their lives. It’s amazing what a small plot of land can do.”
Several other grantees shared stories of individuals who had gone from crippling anxiety to being genuinely empowered by the work they were taking part in, going from being beneficiaries of the charities to facilitators and volunteers.
Another strong theme that came out of the day’s discussion was the impact of OCF’s best-practice grant-making approach. Unrestricted, multi-year funding, as well as the opportunity of a supportive mentor, has been transformational in offering long-term stability to impactful programmes and activities. Funding over two or three years enables initiatives to be properly resourced and embedded into the group, or for core work to have long-term security.
Kate from therapeutic garden Root and Branch spoke about the benefit of this approach: “Multi-year funding enables us to invest in our programme with confidence without that nagging worry about where the money is coming from.”
At the event OCF shared a new report showing progress all the grantees have made so far, which can be downloaded here.
Hearing from some of our donors and funders gave us a real insight into their motivations for working with OCF and supporting the Thriving in Nature fund. One donor said: “When OCF suggested the possibility of a collective fund that would have more impact, it was innovative and we wanted to get onboard.” Another shared: “The day has been very helpful to those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to give.”
Another donor talked about why the Thriving in Nature Fund in particular resonated with them: “What really struck home was the breadth of the organisations – a secondary school in the centre of Oxford, coupled with, for instance, a sailing group in Wallingford, as well as more traditional green space projects.”
All of the team at OCF wants to share our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors RWK Goodman, and to Partner Tracy Norris-Evans, who joined us at Asthall Manor and shared her insights into being a corporate donor to OCF. RWK Goodman is a Top 100 law firm with offices across the South West, Thames Valley and London. They are proud to have strong relationships with their communities and local charities. The firm holds an endowment fund with OCF, now in its 20th year, and following the success of the relationship, Partners have recently tripled their donations into the fund.