The Vision for Volunteering was published in July 2023 and a year on, we are building on this research and its findings. To empower and support communities bring this document to life we will be holding a programme of workshops, beginning this autumn, which will culminate in an in-person celebration of volunteering in summer 2025.

These workshops will be aimed at anyone involved in volunteering, for volunteers, volunteer managers, non-profit organisations who have volunteers, and organisations who benefit from volunteers.

The workshops will be looking directly at the recommendations of the report, what might have changed since then, how we can embed the values and messages shared and create an ongoing space to review and reflect upon volunteering. We aim to invite speakers and hold these sessions online, with a face-to-face event taking place at the conclusion.

To sign up and find out more about these events and get the news as soon as we have it complete the form on this link.

We will be sharing the dates, times and themes as soon as we can.

This fund is an exciting opportunity for communities to develop activities in their local area that help to achieve the countywide ambition of creating places that “support the people of Oxfordshire to live well in their community, remaining fit and healthy for as long as possible”.

The Connected Communities Fund aims to create opportunities for socialising and building meaningful connection by increasing the number of activities available for older people and adults with additional needs by encouraging grassroots initiatives to access flexible funding alongside an ongoing package of support.

Projects will be funded up to £5,000 per project.

The funding has been made available by Oxfordshire County Council and will be delivered to the voluntary and community sector through an innovative new route.

What kind of projects will be funded?

This programme is looking to support:

• the continuation or expansion of activities – we are aiming to increase the number and range of activities available across the county that provide opportunities for people to get or remain connected within their communities.
• activities for older people (over 50s) and / or adults (over 18s) with ‘additional needs’. ‘Additional needs’ has been defined broadly and has included support regarding mental and physical health and wellbeing, isolation due to language or other cultural barriers and caring responsibilities.
• regular / ongoing activities – we are looking to fund activities that have weekly, fortnightly, or monthly sessions over a sustained period. We won’t be funding one-off or short-term events (e.g. fetes, carnivals, exhibitions, or shows that do not have associated introductory / lead-up and / or follow-on activities).
• activities that provide opportunities for socialising.
• inter-generational or community-wide projects only where clear benefits, that are in line with aims of the fund, can be demonstrated for the older people involved in the activities.
• all costs directly associated with providing the activities: including ongoing running costs, project costs, and promotional costs. Small capital costs will be considered where capital works are completed and the benefit shown before the end of the funded period, and they leave a continuing legacy beyond the end of the funded period.
• projects from the following organisations: charity / CIO / registered company with charitable status / co-operative community benefit society / social enterprise / community group. We don’t fund private organisations.

How to apply

Groups and members of the community are encouraged to come forward with their ideas and will have the opportunity to talk through their proposal with the ongoing support and expertise of Community First Oxfordshire and OCVA.

There is no closing date, but applications will close when all funding has been allocated. Expressions of Interest (EoIs) will be considered, groups contacted, and funds distributed on a rolling basis.

Please complete the expression of interest form available at the link below:

Expression of Interest Form   We will be accepting Expressions of interest from Monday 16^th September.

The table below shows projects that were funded by this fund in 2023/2024: