OUR city has a proud tradition of helping those in need.

In 1942 the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief was set up and lobbied the government for the relaxation of the Allied blockade of occupied Europe to ensure the supply of vital relief to civilians, especially in Belgium and Greece.

The organisation would become Oxfam and has helped with humanitarian aid for decades.The most recent has been the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Its efforts have seen 28 people head overseas to help combat the deadly disease.

Among them was Camilla Knox-Peebles who saw first-hand the impact Ebola has had on families who had lost a loved one.

But it is not just people in Oxfam that have decided to make a difference. Faringdon nurse Andy Gleadle also headed to Sierra Leone as a member of the International Medical Corps.

And at home, Oxford University scientists have been working hard in the laboratory to come up with a vaccine while residents have come forward to volunteer for tests.

We should salute all of these people for their work, their selflessness and their inspiring determination to help those less fortunate than themselves.