We Work all Year Round in the Community

Our year-round programme of work brings the community together, helps people to access opportunities and learn new skills, particularly for some of the most disadvantaged groups and individuals in and around the city. 

But the city’s diversity extends to the financial and social as well as cultural. Amongst historic buildings and academic excellence sit pockets of extreme disadvantage, and increasing deprivation. Oxford holds city wards which are amongst the top 20% and bottom 20% of deprivation across the UK.  Within our local wards of Cowley, Rosehill and Iffley, and Blackbird Leys poverty, low educational achievement and high long-term unemployment lead to associated social problems, including above average levels of crime, drug abuse, mental illness and homelessness.

Click here to find out more about our outreach projects in the community

Uniting Communities 

Oxford is the third most ethnically diverse city in South East England, and has a similarly diverse religious culture, attracting visitors from all over the globe. Our community projects and the Carnival itself reflects and celebrates Oxford’s thriving multiculturalism.

Cowley Road Carnival is a celebration of unity in diversity – a profound showing of the strength and value of Oxford’s multiculturalism. The event is especially crucial at the moment when deep divisions in our community can be seen in a 46% rise in racist and ableist (anti-disability) crime across Thames Valley Police’s beat.

Click the links to find out more about:

Spearheading Inclusivity in the arts

Our outreach projects in the community.

Where this Hits Hardest: Children and Young People

The division of Oxford is most stark in the area of child poverty and educational attainment. Of the areas where Oxford wards are noted to be in the worst 10% of the UK, 75% of these related to children and education. Oxford City Council’s 2019 Indices of Deprivation report notes that:

“Key aspects of relative deprivation in Oxford are low income (especially  child poverty) and poor educational attainment. 7 out of 10 LSOAs in the 20% most deprived areas in England are also amongst the 10% most deprived areas for education, skills and training.”

Three local wards in East Oxford have child poverty rates over 40%. In contrast, some Oxford wards have a child poverty rate of less than 1%. These children have a life expectancy of up to 8 years less than other Oxford peers. Current trends see this gap widening, leaving our most vulnerable young people behind.

Click here to find out more about our work with schools and young people.