At RWK Goodman, making a meaningful difference in the communities we serve is central to who we are. Our partnership with Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) is a reflection of that purpose and is an essential part of our efforts to support positive change within our local communities.

Through our involvement with OCF, we have been supporting the Thriving in Nature Fund, which was first launched in 2023, with the aim to connect people with nature to improve both physical and mental health. Through this fund, we have been able to contribute to numerous projects, helping to protect green spaces throughout Oxfordshire.

Be Free Young Carers is an independent charity working with young carers aged 8-17, with an aim to enhance their wellbeing and support their life options by providing advice, guidance, and peer support, to allow the young carers to socialise and have fun.

Our funding will help Be Free Young Carers to implement a year long programme promoting environmental education and wellbeing through nature, which will include 12 nature focused trips where the young carers will engage with outdoor activities led by professionals. Additionally, funding will also help support six Mindfulness Movement sessions focused on eco-therapy throughout schools in Oxfordshire, teaching the young carers different mindfulness skills.

FarmAbility is an outdoor, farm-based programme supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism in Oxfordshire. FarmAbility works in partnership with local farms and growing spaces to provide opportunities for active engagement in various activities like vegetable growing, horse care and woodwork throughout the year.

Our funding will be used to help develop and deliver accessible courses for participants to formally recognise and accredit their achievements and learnings within FarmAbility’s service. With this additional funding, they aim to develop and roll out an adapted training programme across all sites using existing award schemes focused on rural skills, farm skills, and conservation. The training programme aims to provide a more targeted and structured learning pathway that makes these awards accessible and relevant to their learners.

Long Mead Foundation (LMF) is dedicated to supporting the conservation and enhancement of the biodiversity of the floodplain meadows along the Upper Thames. LMF aims to educate the public on nature-based solutions for climate change, particularly in relation to floodplain meadows, and offers nature-based activities to adults with learning disabilities.

This funding will enable Long Mead Foundation to continue working directly with local communities and landowners, engaging them in meadow restoration projects. In particular, funding will help set up a second weekly nature recovery and plant propagation day to help engage adults with learning disabilities, autism, people with mental and physical health challenges, students, gardeners, and retirees. LMF want to ensure volunteering is accessible for all, especially for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Funding will help cover volunteer costs, such as transport, ensuring that community members can participate in restoration activities without financial barriers.

Root and Branch Westmill supports adults, many of whom are from low-income backgrounds, who experience mental health difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, and personality disorders. The organisation supports those adults through the power of nature and therapeutic craft activities that range from working in their garden alongside a qualified Social and Therapeutic Gardener, spending time outside in nature, as well as art and craft activities, learning to cook, and participating in woodwork and black smith workshops.

Through the Thriving in Nature Fund, Root and Branch Westmill can continue supporting vulnerable and socially isolated adults in their community, by seeking collaborations with experts in nature and rural environment, providing participants the opportunity and encouragement to engage in a range of experiences.

Cheney School has 1,700 students, with a relatively small urban site where break times mean crowded courtyards dominated by tarmac and concrete. Cheney has a diverse student community, with many children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, who might lack access to green spaces.

To address this, the Association has been working with students and staff to transform these ‘nature-less’ courtyards at the school into lively green spaces. Last year, they transformed part of the main playground into a garden with seating, creating a welcoming area for socialising, studying and outdoor classes while attracting wildlife back.

Building on this success, Cheney School now aims to renovate a second courtyard into a green zone with planters, trees, and benches to help foster wellbeing and social connections.

The Nature Effect collaborates with partners to create thriving wildscapes and accessible green spaces. Their new project at Bullingdon prison will establish a therapeutic garden, tended by residents in the Incentivised Substance-Free Living (ISFL) unit, supporting addiction recovery through nature.

Many young men in the justice system come from deprived backgrounds, with issues like mental health struggles and addiction poorly addressed in prison. Bullingdon sees over 700 self-harm and 400 violence incidents annually, emphasizing the need for rehabilitation. The ISFL unit offers incentives for participants to commit to sobriety and therapeutic programs. Residents at the prison helped design the garden, expressing a need for “a place with fresh air, sunlight, and openness.” The project will also help develop rural skills and employment opportunities, with pathways into horticulture and agriculture to support reintegration upon release.

As we continue our journey with the Oxfordshire Community Foundation, our dedication to supporting and strengthening our local communities remains central to what we do.