We recently hosted a small lunch gathering for Katie, our Administrator, as she headed off on maternity leave. We’re delighted to welcome Sophie who will be covering Katie’s leave.
“I bring over 20 years of administrative experience, alongside ongoing freelance work for a breast cancer charity based in Oxford.
“In my role, I oversee day-to-day operational tasks, coordinate training, and support the office administration, as well as providing support to the OCVA team and members. I’m passionate about supporting purpose-driven organisations and am delighted to be part of the team. I look forward to building strong, collaborative relationships across the Oxfordshire community and contributing to the vital work of local organisations.”
The Team Out and About
- On Thursday Laura attended the new Primary and Community Care Board, which is a key place for developing and planning the roll out of Neighbourhood Health. The VCFSE will be a crucial part of the success of this new approach to health and care. We look forward to working to ensure that our sector is well represented.
- Maya hosted the Volunteer Coordinator Forum led by Circles South East. The organisation delivers a volunteer-led programme across the Thames Valley, supporting individuals with histories of sexual offending to reduce the risk of further harm. The discussion generated significant interest and sparked collaborative partnerships between mission-aligned charities in attendance.
Maya also attended a webinar ‘How to Write Volunteer Opportunities That Inspire Action’, delivered by the Media Trust. It was interesting to learn more about their volunteer platform, which focuses specifically on digital skills volunteering.
- Clare hosted the first two Communities of Practice this month. The Oxford meeting proved particularly popular. Guest speaker Jon Hyslop from Community Glue CIC spoke about the new Oxfordshire Recovery Network for anyone working or volunteering with people experiencing or recovering from mental distress. The Banbury and north Cherwell group held an Ask and Offers collaborative session.
- Jenny joined Oxfordshire Community Foundation to meet with local groups at Holton village hall to discuss funding options. She also joined Berny for the Bullingdon Community Connections Steering Group at HMP Bullingdon.
- Vicki caught up with Hassan at Oxford Community Action’s (OCA) Wednesday food redistribution session. It was an opportunity to chat through OCA’s role as an anchor and a host for the Well Together programme – and energising to reflect on how far we have come together.
The Well Together team also took time to consider all the work that has been supported to promote men’s health and the diverse range of activities supporting vulnerable migrants – more to follow on this.
