A GRANT-GIVING foundation is to celebrate helping hundreds of worthy Oxfordshire causes with a street party this month.

The Oxfordshire Community Foundation, based in Woodin’s Way, Oxford, distributes thousands of pounds in grants every year.

It also distributed £50,000 of Red Nose Community Cash as part of the Oxford Mail’s efforts to celebrate the charity bonanza.

And, to celebrate Small Charity Week 2011, the foundation will throw a big party to say ‘Thank you’ to the groups on Tuesday, June 21.

Chief executive Jayne Woodley said: “There are a huge amount of small charities in Oxfordshire who are doing great work, but who people might not know about.

“On the day, we’ll be an open house, so we want people to come and see us and meet us all.

“There will be groups there talking about what they do, so it’s a great chance to see everything that’s happening in the county.”

Among the Red Nose winners were toddlers’ groups, good-neighbour schemes, playgroups and clubs for the widowed.

There are also music clubs, rugby players, groups for Brownies, baking and badminton.

The foundation will also take the opportunity to promote the website localgiving.com The site aims to give more charities the chance to create their own site online, giving them an online presence for the first time.

Mrs Woodley said: “The website enables groups to raise more money locally.

“A person might want to donate money to a local group, but might not know what’s out there. This will help people go and find things they want to support, things that are local to them.”

Mrs Woodley said: “This gives them the chance to meet each other and share a bit of knowledge. It helps people to join up with other similar groups, if we can help them to collaborate, that would be great.”

She said: “The message is very much that funding is a problem for small groups in Oxfordshire at the moment, but that people can really do something about it on their own doorsteps.”

The foundation is also offering people the chance to win a Fiat 500 car in a raffle. Anyone interested can buy a ticket for £2 from its offices in Woodin’s Way, text OXCF to 70070 or visit: justgiving.com.

For more information on the street party, visit oxfordshire.org or call 01865 798666.