A TOTAL of 25 groups have been nominated in this year’s Oxfordshire Charity and Volunteer Awards.

They range from newcomers, such as a co-operative farm for people with autism, to longstanding institutions, such as Sobell House Hospice at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

We take a look at them here.

The Midcounties Co-operative Charity of the Year Award

  • Base 33 Youth Trust provides emotional and practical support to vulnerable and disadvantaged young people aged 13-24 through mentoring, project work and access to positive activities.
  • Eve Women’s Wellbeing Project supports women from all walks of life in times of need and empowers women to help others.
  • Headway Oxfordshire provides information, advice and support for anyone affected by brain injury through a range of practical services for individuals, families and carers.
  • One-Eighty works with vulnerable young people in Oxfordshire who are at risk of exclusion from mainstream education, supporting them to lead inspired and successful lives and guiding them through a reintegration back into school.

The Active Technology Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Headway Oxfordshire is celebrating its 25th anniversary of supporting individuals, families and carers affected by brain injury helping them regain confidence in their abilities, maximise their potential and re-engage with society.
  • KEEN Oxford has been helping children and young people with special needs gain a greater access to and enjoyment of social and recreational activities for 25 years.
  • Sobell House is a hospice that has delivered specialist palliative care and support to patients and their families affected by advanced or progressive life-limiting illnesses for 37 years.

The Jennings and Monument Community Trust Best New Group

  • Broken Spoke Bike Co-op is a co-operative enterprise that aims to address social inequality, create a healthier environment, and strengthen the culture of bicycling in Oxfordshire by teaching people from all backgrounds to become self-sufficient and proficient in bicycle maintenance and riding.
  • Cultivate is a co-operative social enterprise working to bring people together around local food through growing fruit and veg, trading with other local producers and getting people involved through education, volunteering and events.
  • FarmAbility provides training, therapeutic activities and work experience for people with autism and learning difficulties within a working farm setting, aiming to increase wellbeing and building the skills and confidence of their co-farmers.

The Hunts Best Fundraising Award

  • Osney Lock Hydro was set up by a group of local residents to enable the development of a community-owned hydro scheme in the heart of Oxford which will generate both renewable energy, and funding, for local environmental projects.
  • Stadhampton Community Building Project Team has spent the last four years consulting, designing, fundraising and re-modelling an underused church to meet the local need for a village hall whilst still providing a place for worship.
  • Banbury branch Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) has a commitment to providing access to education and learning for adults from all backgrounds, in particular to those who have previously missed out on education.

The Oxford Bus Company Environmental Award

  • Anne Carpmael Trust is an inclusive and engaging, community-based organisation helping people to enjoy, care for and learn all about nature and the natural environment.
  • Community Action Group (CAG) Project supports over 50 groups across Oxfordshire. It is at the forefront of community-led climate change action, organising events and projects on issues including waste, transport, food, energy and biodiversity.
  • Friends of Radley Lakes seeks to represent everyone who values the Radley Lakes area of outstanding beauty, fundraising for a new visitor centre and supporting conservation in the area and other local wildlife corridor projects.

The Management of Volunteers Award

  • Assisted Reading for Children (ARCh) trained volunteers aim to impart a love of reading to disadvantaged primary school children via personalised mentoring support.
  • Broken Spoke Bike Co-op has a team of volunteer greeters, assistant mechanics and lead mechanics to teach people from all backgrounds to become self-sufficient and proficient in bicycle maintenance and riding.
  • Oxfordshire Mind has dedicated volunteers providing county-wide support for anyone with a mental health problem.

The Critchleys Working Together Award

  • Carers Oxfordshire worked with Oxfordshire County Council to provide a pioneering telephone and web-based service to support unpaid carers in the county.
  • Reading Quest (incorporating Numeracy Quest) is an education charity that supports children, mainly from disadvantaged backgrounds and collaborated with the private sector to launch a global trading arm by making literacy and numeracy apps.
  • Community Action Group Project works closely with the county and the district councils to help community action groups get access to local authority support.

The By Box Best Community Project Award

  • Community Action Group (CAG) Project is a collaboration to enhance the community action sector and share their knowledge and experience.
  • Play2Give organises events such as football tournaments to raise money for local registered charities.
  • Talking Shop is a group of Sandford residents working to bring a community shop and cafe to the village to help bridge social barriers and encourage friendships across generations.

The Best Promotional Campaign Award

  • Carers Oxfordshire developed a campaign with the PCT involving every pharmacy in the county helping to promoting the service and encourage carers to recognise their caring role.
  • My Life My Choice launched an anti-hate crime campaign led by people with learning disabilities through the media and social media, engaging local and national political figures.
  • Oxford Preservation Trust raised public awareness of the lost Painted Room where Shakespeare had stayed, through a civic event bringing together the community to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday.

The Collaborent Best Team of Volunteers Award

  • Arts at the Old Fire Station provides great art for the public, professional development of artists, and builds the confidence and skills of homeless people.
  • My Life My Choice is led by people with learning disabilities whose innovative and challenging projects support the community and give it a local and national voice.
  • Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC) provides independent specialist support for women and girls in Oxfordshire who have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives.