SIX good causes from Oxfordshire have won grants after filming videos showing their work within the community.

Oxford-based energy supplier Opus Energy awarded £8,500 to help power the projects of local charities and community groups.

Not-for-profit community groups were invited to prepare and submit a short video identifying their aim, purpose and the project they would use the cash for.

The six winners were Oxford Food Bank, SpecialEffect, BG Records and Young Women’s Music Project, The Porch Steppin’ Stone, Messy Jam and 2nd Oxford Scout Group.

The Porch Steppin’ Stone provides support for homeless people and was awarded £600 to help encourage members to get back into work.

Operations director Nigel Northcott, 60, said: “We’ve experienced a 10 per cent reduction in charitable receipts this year, so are having to work hard to make up the shortfall to ensure our members don’t suffer. Homelessness is not very sexy cause and the gift will help us make up this gap in funding.”

BG Records and Young Women’s Music Project provide music workshops, recording sessions, live events and support and mentoring for young people. They got £2,000 to put on a music event at the O2 Academy.

Zahra Tehrani, 24, the CEO and founder of BG Records, said: “The young people we work with are aged between 14 and 25 – and lots of them are really vulnerable young people so it is nice to have something for them to channel their energy into.”

Oxford Food Bank is a charity that picks up fresh food that would otherwise be thrown away and delivers it for free to 25 groups who feed the city’s less fortunate.

The group got £3,000 to help them move from their current premises which will no longer be available from December.

Charlie Crossley Cooke, Opus Energy managing director, said: “We are tremendously pleased to provide funding for such good causes in the local community.”