OCF brought together grantees and funders at Asthall Manor on 13th May for a day of discussion and shared learning through the Thriving in Nature Fund, building on last year’s event at the same venue.
Supported by RWK Goodman, who returned as sponsor for a second year, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on progress, explore challenges and share experience of connecting people with nature across Oxfordshire through OCF’s Thriving in Nature Fund.
Hearing from grantees gave a clear sense of how work supported through the fund is taking shape. They spoke about how their funding is being used and how projects are developing over time, drawing on their experience of working alongside communities and individuals.
Shabnam Malik from Sunrise Multicultural Project in Banbury said:
“Our outdoor trips have been a key highlight. We had a visit to Wendover Woods which brought together 48 participants. For many of those people, it’s basically the first time they’ve ever accessed that sort of natural outdoor space.”
There was a strong sense of the value of flexible funding, particularly in allowing organisations to respond to need and adjust their approach as their work evolves.
Grantees also reflected on the central role of nature in their work, and the changes they are seeing in the people they support.
Catriona Bass from Long Mead Foundation commented:
“The Thriving in Nature grant has been completely transformative, and was really a kind of milestone for us… We began to be taken seriously, we were able to get salaries and so we are now a professional organisation. We now get legitimately invited to county-level meetings about landscape recovery.”
Andy Stevens from Wallingford Accessible Boat Club (WABC) reflected on the change he has witnessed in a group of users:
“Before I started volunteering at WABC I saw a group of children who were experiencing emotional challenges, and they walked down to the boat under the care of the teacher. They looked quite anxious, and a bit distressed, I wondered how this was going to go. So I watched and 10 minutes later they arrived back at the pontoon. And the smiles on their faces, they were grinning! I knew then that this project was for me.”
Alongside this, funders shared their perspective on being part of the Thriving in Nature Fund and the reasons behind their support. They spoke about the importance of understanding what is happening on the ground and how funding is making a difference over time, with hearing directly from grantees highlighted as a particularly valuable part of the day.
Graham Street , Partner at RWK Goodman reflected on why the organisation chooses to support the Thriving in Nature Fund:
“One of the really interesting things about the fund was that there are projects that help people and projects that help improve the environment in some way. I think this is really great because it brings the two things together. It’s quite innovative and it’s not something that I’ve seen anywhere else.”
Helen Parker, Director at the John Laing Charitable Trust shared what feedback from grantees she finds valuable:
“We love to get numbers, don’t we? However, for me it’s all about the storytelling. I would really encourage you to share stories like we’ve heard this morning, which is absolutely incredible. Stories bring to life the actual differences you’re making. And I’d also say the picture tells a thousand words.”
During the event, OCF shared an updated report highlighting the progress of the Thriving in Nature Fund and the work of grassroots organisations funded in 2024 and 2025, which features stories and pictures from the grantees. The report is available to read here.
Conversations and workshop sessions throughout the day looked at what is working well and where there are challenges, with grantees and funders sharing experience openly. There was discussion around how funding can best support the most meaningful activity; how organisations approach monitoring in practice; and how to balance flexibility with the need to show progress. The aims of the fund ran through these discussions, particularly around improving health and wellbeing, building skills and increasing access to green spaces, as well as how stronger connections between organisations could help build on what is already happening.
More detailed notes from the workshops will be published here when we have had a chance to pull them together thoughtfully!
The day offered a clear sense of how the fund is developing and where progress is beginning to be seen, with opportunities to build on this in the years ahead.
If you are a charitable organisation interested in applying to the Thriving in Nature Fund, applications are now open here (closing 5th June).
If you are a funder or individual interested in contributing to this fund, please contact our Deputy CEO Kate Parrinder.