Philanthropists and leaders from Oxfordshire’s charitable sector have come together to celebrate 30 years of local giving by Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), marking three decades of grant-making that has supported communities across the county.
The charity marked its 30th anniversary in 2025 with a special drinks reception held on Giving Tuesday at Oxford’s Randolph Hotel. Donors, beneficiaries and local dignitaries attended the event, which highlighted the foundation’s impact and was generously sponsored by Wise Investment, a local financial planning and investment management firm.
Founded in 1995, Oxfordshire Community Foundation works closely with philanthropists, including high-net-worth individuals, to help them achieve their charitable aims while creating lasting local change. Over the past 30 years, OCF has awarded more than £20 million in grants to over 2,000 organisations across Oxfordshire. This year alone saw a record-breaking £2.5 million distributed to support grassroots charities.
Among the guests were Rupert Ponsonby, son of OCF founder Sir Ashley Ponsonby, and his wife Amanda. Attendees also heard from guest speakers including Marjorie Glasgow, Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire and President of OCF; Rhodri Davies, founder-director of Philanthropy Matters; and longstanding donor Mark Beard, whose Beard Charitable Foundation is managed by OCF.
“Charity is about delivering joy and positive outcomes to individuals or groups working towards a collective goal,” said Mr Ponsonby. He praised OCF for helping donors ensure their funds are used effectively, adding: “I’m incredibly proud of what the charity has achieved since it was established by my late father.”
The Ponsonbys have played a key role in creating OCF’s Thriving in Nature Fund, which pools donations to improve health and wellbeing through access to Oxfordshire’s green spaces.
The fund has awarded £744,000 across two rounds of grants to 27 grassroots charities, following research highlighting mental health challenges, obesity levels and land use across the county.
Zoe Sprigings, CEO of Oxfordshire Community Foundation, said the anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on both progress and ongoing challenges. “Beneath Oxfordshire’s wealth and beauty exists great inequality of opportunity,” she said, noting rising homelessness and deprivation in parts of Oxford. “Philanthropy can make a real difference to challenging these trends.”
Further information about Oxfordshire Community Foundation is available online.
