We offer grants to residents of the City of Oxford who find themselves in hardship or need. We provide two kinds of grants which we refer to as:

1. Relief in Sickness/Relief in Need (RISRIN) grants

Funds are available to assist people in financial need and are normally disbursed as one-off grants for specific items such as a washing machine or a particular item of furniture. (Applicants should have been resident within the City of Oxford for at least three years prior to applying). 

2. Educational grants. The City of Oxford Charity provides grants directly to schools within the city who wish to support pupils from low income families to attend school trips, educational events and holiday clubs. We also provide help for individual families of school age children who are resident within the City of Oxford

Any organisation engaged in supporting local people can apply for either of these two grants on behalf of a client. We ask you to help the client complete the form correctly, provide a detailed covering letter of support, and be prepared to receive the funds on behalf of the client and assist them to make the purchases accordingly.
Our Trustees meet regularly throughout the year to evaluate the applications and to award funds. Typically, the awards will be a maximum of £500 to £700 depending on the family size and the need outlined on the form.
The RIS/RIN grants are most often used for purchases such as white goods, furniture, and household items, the committee will sometimes consider other requests on their merits.
Educational grants can be used to help to buy items such as laptops, uniforms and tools of the trade needed by FE students. Schools can also apply for funds to enable more disadvantaged children to attend school trips and activities.

Introductory Letter MEETING DATES 2021

Guidance notes for supporting agencies

Full details, guidance notes and application forms can be found on our website at
https://www.oxfordcitycharity.org.uk/ or you can call or email us for advice.