Oxfordshire Charity aims to raise £12,000 for food bank and community hub
All donations to the charity have been doubled over the past week
An Oxfordshire charity is aiming to raise £12,000 to keep their food bank, warm spaces, and other services running for the community.
All money raised will go towards the Windale Community Hub, owned by the charity, Oxford Hub.
"when we lack hope, we need people"
The community space in the Leys opened in September 2023, to help tackle inequality in the city.
Oxford Hub says around ‘one in five children live in poverty in the city’.
Brie Birdsey works at the Oxford Hub, she said: “People are coming to our foodbanks and telling me how much it’s helped them, also coming in for a tea, talking to people and that can be hard but when you’re in a space where everyone wants to talk it can be much less scary to do that.”
The charity also says ‘there's a life expectancy difference of 13 years between North Oxford and the Leys’.
Ms Birdsey said: “I’ve spoken to a lot of people who’ve said they feel a little bit hopeless, and I think that when we lack hope, we need people.
“I like to think we’re doing that, but I know we are because people have told me, and even just being there myself is just such a warm, lovely and unique energy which is something that I’ve never experienced before.”
'It helps us keep the lights on'
Oxford Hub also provides and host community activities free for the community, such as exercise classes, support for new parents and tackling loneliness.
Over the past week all donations have been doubled, with today being the last day for donations to be matched.
Ms Birdsey said: “Some of our wonderful match funders will be doubling any donations that we get which will be going to the ongoings of our Windale Hub.”
She added: “It helps us with upkeep, keeping the lights on and to just continue with all of our wonderful programmes.”