Cost of Living Fund

Cost of Living Fund

72%

Funded

  • £400K Target
  • £287.3K Raised
  • 45 Donors
  • About

Our Cost of Living Fund makes grants to grassroots charitable organisations working to help the most disadvantaged in our county cope with the ongoing impact of this unprecedented crisis. We remain dedicated to raising awareness and funds around the cost of living. Could you or your business join us in stepping up to this challenge?

Sadly, since the opening of OCF’s grant funding in September 2022, the huge rise in energy and food costs continues to affect the most vulnerable in our community who still need help. Inflation has hit a 40 year high, with a rate of 10.5% in January. There was a near 17% increase in the price of food and non-alcoholic drinks in the 12 months to December 2022, and a near 7% increase in the costs for housing, water and energy bills.

Crucially, Oxfordshire has a precious network of grassroots organisations that are doing essential work to help people stay afloat in this crisis. However, these organisations are themselves at risk of going under. They are experiencing huge increases in the demand for their services alongside rising costs which they cannot pass onto the people they help.

Hope is on the horizon with inflation expected to slow to 3% by the end of the year. If we let these organisations fail over the next nine months, it will take away an essential safety net that may not be replaced.

This is why OCF is committed to giving ongoing support to grassroots charitable organisations over the coming year, helping them to survive until the picture is more hopeful. These charities will continue to provide practical support to enable individuals to survive in the short term, alongside robust support structures and preventative solutions for them to thrive in the long term.

We have raised over £300k so far from the general public, our generous donors and other funding partners. We would now like to raise a further £50k to support the next round of grant funding.

Your generosity also helps us do our job. 10% of your donation is used to allow OCF to design and administer grants that truly meet the needs of the sector. The rest of your gift will go directly to grassroots community organisations delivering their vital work. A 25% uplift is also added to your donation via Gift Aid wherever possible.

Thank you so much for supporting us in this urgent appeal.

Fundraising updates

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