Oxford City Farm is celebrating after being named runner-up in the 2026 Brand the Bus competition, following an overwhelming show of community support and recognition from the judging panel.
The annual competition, organised by the Oxford Bus Company, gives local charities the opportunity to raise their profile through advertising on buses travelling across Oxfordshire. This year’s judging panel included representatives from Oxford Bus Company, Get Radio and Oxford City Football Club.
The recognition has been warmly welcomed by the team at Oxford City Farm, which relies heavily on volunteers and community involvement to grow its impact. The farm was shortlisted alongside ten other Oxfordshire charities, making the achievement particularly significant.
Oxford City Farm is a 2.5-acre community growing space in the heart of Oxford. Developed from a disused school site, it has become a thriving urban farm where people can grow food, learn new skills and spend time in nature.
Each week, volunteers and visitors take part in growing, cooking and wellbeing activities, with many describing the farm as a place where confidence grows, practical skills are developed and lasting friendships are formed.
“We are totally bowled over by the support of our community who voted to get us onto the shortlist and so grateful that the panel have topped up the runner-up prize value of £5,000 to £20,000,” said Nicole Titera, Farm Lead at Oxford City Farm.
“This kind of promotion would be totally beyond our means as a small local charity, but it means so much knowing that more people are going to hear about us. We are looking forward to busier community farming sessions and so many more vegetables being grown and shared.”
Nicole said the campaign will have a lasting impact on the charity’s visibility across the county.
“We are especially excited for September, when the buses begin travelling across Oxfordshire carrying the message about Oxford City Farm, taking us from being one of Oxford’s best-kept secrets to really putting us on the map.
“We hope this encourages people who have never heard of us to come and discover the farm for themselves. You don’t have to have green fingers — just a willingness to learn, or simply to spend time with the animals.”
The farm also congratulated Sobell House Hospice Charity after it was announced as the overall winner of the competition on Get Radio on 27 May, recognising the vital support the charity provides to individuals and families across Oxfordshire.
Looking ahead, Oxford City Farm hopes the campaign will encourage more visitors, volunteers and partners to become part of its growing community.
Drop-in sessions take place every Friday and Saturday from 10.00am to 1.00pm, offering opportunities to explore the site, meet the team and take part in hands-on food-growing and community activities.
