Welcome to Let's Talk Volunteering in Oxfordshire! Join us in person on 22nd October for an engaging discussion about the power of volunteering and the current landscape in Oxfordshire.

This event is the culmination of the Let's Talk Volunteering workshops that have been taking place over the last year to support the Vision for Volunteering. Anyone involved in volunteering can attend, regardless of whether you've attended the previous workshops or not.

Let's share experiences, tips, and ideas on how we can make a difference together. This event will be held at The Source in Oxford (next to the OCVA office).

It's so popular that it has filled up already, but if you join the waitlist we'll monitor the demand and possibly change venue to increase capacity. We'll let you know if this happens and more space becomes available!

Oxfordshire Social Enterprise Partnership (OSEP) are offering a host of free, tailored support to develop social enterprises this Autumn/Winter 2025. 

Find out more on their website, or email them to find out more! 

This programme is funded from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund by South & Vale District Council and Oxford City Council. Please note, this programme can only support businesses or sole traders operating in these areas. 

The Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People’s (GMCDP’s) Young Disabled People Taking Action have written a great comic about the Social Model of Disability - worth a read! Fun and informative, this comic is  part of a series called 'The Accessibles'.

Faringdon Nature Makers and Climate Champions is a joint project between Community First Oxfordshire and Wild Oxfordshire, supported by the Vale of White Horse District Council Climate Action Fund. 

Reflecting on what we heard, we organised a ‘Wildlife Wander’ with Wild Oxfordshire to explore less well-known green spaces in Faringdon. We wandered through the Town Allotments, All Saints Churchyard, and the ‘Wilderness’, where representatives from local community groups shared their knowledge and expertise. 

The fourteen people who joined our wander told us that they’d enjoyed accessing places they didn’t know about, alongside seeing and learning about species in their natural habitats and their importance. One person shared: “I’ve lived on the estate for 34 years and have never been on the allotments”. Another was very proud that she’d learnt how to identify Black Ash trees. A local volunteer with the GP surgery said that she’d be incorporating the areas into her health walks.  

A few days later we offered seed planting, stone painting and giant lego to children at Faringdon’s annual play event run by Oxfordshire Play Association in Tucker Park. We chatted to over 40 children and parents about their experiences of nature and activities which combat climate change. Popular suggestions for future events included more wildlife walks, bulb or tree planting days, and healthy food workshops, including ‘growing your own’.  

So far, our information gathering from individuals and groups in Faringdon suggests that there is interest and enthusiasm across all age groups in connecting with nature for individual wellbeing, as well as taking action for a healthy planet. 

Watch this space for news of more activities as we move into the autumn with a particular focus on ensuring that all members of the local community can participate.   

In June, we held two events where communities involved in Community-Led Housing projects shared their experience and answered questions.

We were happy to hear that participants found the event helpful, with plenty of question from groups talking honestly about their own experiences. One person told us that: ‘I found the meeting very informative and eye opening’. 

It was a great opportunity for groups who are already involved in community led housing and those who were curious if it might be the right thing to come together for a free flowing and interesting conversation. 

There is a fast growing interest across Oxfordshire in community-led housing. Local people are getting more actively involved in planning, developing, managing, and/or owning homes to meet specific local needs and create strong communities. How this happens very much depends on the community's wishes and aims. 

We are looking forward to seeing how this develops and providing support when it's needed.

You may have heard that the structure of our councils is going to change. There are three different proposals were proposed by different councils and bodies. Community First does not have a preference of a specific structure, but we hope that the choice is based on whichever structure best serves and listens to communities.

Here is a summary of the three proposals

1. A single county unitary council providing all services to the residents of Oxfordshire. 

2. Two unitary councils:

- Oxford and Shires Council (previously referenced as North Oxfordshire Council) created from the existing district councils of Cherwell, Oxford City and West Oxfordshire.

- Ridgeway Council created from the existing district councils of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse and the unitary council of West Berkshire.

3. Three unitary councils – with a unitary city on expanded boundaries as well as northern and southern unitaries, also including West Berkshire.

You can read more about why this is happening and the effect it will have on the Oxford County Council webpage linked below.

Marek joined us as our Heyford Park Community Development Worker a few weeks ago. He's been busy and already has lots to share from three weeks in post!

As part of our storytelling evaluation approach to Well Together, our team have collected some stories from participants. They are a lovely read and demonstrate the far reaching impact that community groups have, which are not captured in other data.  Click below to read the stories.