Oxford University’s humanities research centre ‘TORCH’ have been researching the impact of the Well Together programme. We are delighted that the researchers have very positive words to say in their first report:

 

“Our research found that the individual [staff members] are particular strengths of each programme, able to effectively engage with local communities through regular presence in community activities; excellent communication and networking skills; and active partnerships with existing organisations and networks.” They add, “What is most notable in [the staff members’] skillset is the ability to engage with a variety of individuals [...]. All are outgoing and personable, able to articulate the social and cultural issues at the heart of Oxfordshire health inequalities, with practical and pragmatic views on community wellbeing.”

 

They report that the programmes are, “crucial in linking residents to existing medical and health provision in the wards, as well as ensuring that key health infrastructure is accessible and trusted. The quality of social relationships provided … is therefore an essential foundation for the success of overarching health programmes.”

 

“Our evaluation therefore recommends continued support for community health interventions that develop social relationships, as the Well Together and CHDO programmes do, as well as interventions that focus on sustainability in order to continue to build residents’ trust as well as develop community capacity.”

 

The full report and a summary can be found on the TORCH website here: https://www.torch.ox.ac.uk/oxfordshire-health-humanities-project#tab-4776511

Undertaking a community survey early on gave me a great insight into what residents wanted to see in their community - a big interest was in repairing recycling, re-purposing, and reducing items going to landfill. To this end I worked closely with a few key residents who eventually became Heyford Maker Shed, again a constituted group with premises, equipment and an active committee. I supported both these groups with funding applications, policies and procedures, and finding premises.

During my work at Heyford park, I had many conversations with residents, key stakeholders, and those who are the decision makers. Lives have become so busy since Covid and the struggle to find volunteers is as real as it is in many communities, and this is just as true in Oxfordshire. I wish the groups the best going forwards and am excited to see what the new community development worker brings. 

I am retiring to spend more time with my new grandson, and singing with Northants Sings Out around the UK.  I will also be volunteering locally! 

LGBTQ+ people have been organising for their communities and wider social justice for many years. Pride month marks the Stonewall Riots of June 27th 1969, where the LGBTQ+ community rioted against police officers in response to discriminatory violence and harassment. The LGBTQ+ community have a history of protest, but also of community organising - something we can look up to and learn from as a community development charity. 

We're lucky to welcome three brilliant new staff members to our team!

Shahdia has replaced Gem as our Senior Administrator, she has been in post for just over a month now and we already don't know what we'd do without her.

Duduzile has started a new role as a Stop Smoking Outreach Worker - we're learning lots from her long term experience working with communities.

Taymur is replacing Rachel as a Community Capacity Builder with Well Together. Even though he only started last week, he's already found connections to groups he's been volunteering with in Oxford.

We look forward to sharing more about their work as they settle into their new roles.

Rachel Woods, one of our valued Community Capacity Builders for the Well Together programme, has moved to North Yorkshire to start a new job closer to her parents. We would like to say a big thank you to Rachel for all the great work she has done in our team and for the community groups she has worked with - she has made such a big difference. As one group told us: 

 

Rachel has many gifts – she is an excellent listener, she is intuitive, proactive and cares deeply about individuals, groups and wider community wellbeing. She is also a calming spirit, with a deep understanding of humanity. Her reflective and spiritual approach helped our team and the groups she worked with. She was a valued member of the Well Together team, we wish her well, and thank her for her excellent work. She will now be using those (and her many other!) skills in a new role as NHS Community Chaplain for Wellbeing in Yorkshire. Good luck Rachel - please keep in touch!

 

Taymur Al-Saadi has now joined the Well Together team – a warm welcome Taymur!

We're really proud of the work our staff do, and we wanted to share this lovely piece of feedback we received about Lisa's ABCD training sessions:

You can read more about our ABCD training and how we use the approach in our work on our new website.

We’re excited to launch our new website this week, designed to make our services more accessible to people across Oxfordshire. 🌟 

As a community development and placemaking charity that has been working in the county for over 100 years, we collaborate with various stakeholders on diverse projects. We needed a new website to celebrate the full spectrum of our work.

You may have noticed that our logo and 'look' have changed too. We worked with Oxygen - a purpose-led creative agency - to reflect our range of work across the county, supporting both rural and urban communities with community development and placemaking services.

We've created an infographic to show how our work in Oxfordshire has changed over the years. Take a look:

Our membership scheme, which is open to groups and individuals across Oxfordshire, enables us to:

By becoming a member, you also gain access to exclusive discounts on our paid consultancy services, including: