A Summer Evening at Broughton Castle — and Why We're Proud to Support Oxfordshire Community Foundation
A Summer Evening at Broughton Castle — and Why We're Proud to Support Oxfordshire Community Foundation
There are evenings that remind you why you choose to put down roots in a place. Last week, we were fortunate enough to attend the Oxfordshire Community Foundation's summer drinks event at the magnificent Broughton Castle — a moated medieval fortress set among the rolling north Oxfordshire countryside near Banbury. It was a genuinely special occasion, and one that left us with a renewed appreciation for the quiet but significant work being done to support the people and communities that make this county such a remarkable place to live and work.
At Oxford Property Consulting, Oxfordshire isn't just where we do business — it's home. So when we have the opportunity to support organisations that are actively working to improve lives across the county, it matters to us personally. The Oxfordshire Community Foundation is exactly that kind of organisation.
What Is the Oxfordshire Community Foundation?
Founded in 1995 by Sir Ashley Ponsonby, the Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) is a charity built on a deceptively simple idea: that by pooling the generosity of individuals, businesses, and philanthropists, far more good can be done than any one donor could achieve alone. Over the past three decades, it has grown into one of the most impactful charitable organisations in the county.
The numbers speak for themselves. Since its founding, OCF has distributed more than £20 million in grants and supported over 2,000 local organisations. In 2025 alone — its 30th anniversary year — it awarded a record-breaking £2.5 million across 139 grants. These are not abstract statistics. Behind each grant is a small charity or community group doing vital work: befriending services for isolated older people, support for survivors of domestic abuse, programmes empowering young people with learning disabilities, and community hubs holding neighbourhoods together.
The Need Is Greater Than Many Realise
Oxfordshire is, on its surface, a county of considerable wealth and beauty. The dreaming spires, the honey-stone villages, the prestigious schools and world-class university — it is easy to assume that prosperity is evenly distributed. It is not.
The OCF's Chief Executive has been direct about this: two areas of Oxford city sit within the top 10 per cent of the most deprived locations in England. The number of households in Oxford facing the threat of homelessness has doubled since 2024. Some 88,000 adults in the county experience depression. These are problems that neither wealth nor geography can paper over, and they are why the work of the Foundation matters so much.
Giving That Works
What makes OCF particularly effective is its approach. Rather than simply acting as a conduit for donations, the team builds close relationships with hundreds of local charities, developing a genuine understanding of where funding will have the greatest impact. Donors — whether individuals, families, or businesses — benefit from that expertise, giving with confidence that their money is being put to work wisely.
One of OCF's most inspiring recent initiatives is the Thriving in Nature Fund, originally established by the Ponsonby family and now entering its third round of funding in 2026. The fund supports grassroots organisations helping people — particularly those facing inequality or poor mental health — to engage with Oxfordshire's remarkable green spaces and rural environment. With almost three-quarters of the county's land used for agriculture, and strong evidence linking time in nature to improved wellbeing, it is a beautifully local solution to a national challenge. To date, the fund has made £744,000 in grants to 27 charities, with a new round now underway with a focus on food, farming, and rural skills.
An Evening to Remember
Broughton Castle provided a fittingly extraordinary backdrop for the summer drinks event. One of England's most romantic historic houses, it has been home to the Fiennes family for over 600 years and remains a working family estate. To spend an evening there, in the company of people who share a commitment to Oxfordshire's future, was a privilege.
Events like this are more than a social occasion. They are an opportunity to meet the donors, beneficiaries, and community leaders who make the Foundation's work possible — to understand, in a human way, the connections between generosity and change. We came away reminded that Oxfordshire's strength has always come from its communities, and that those communities need champions.
Why We Support the OCF
At Oxford Property Consulting, we help people find homes in Oxfordshire. That means we have a direct stake in the health, character, and cohesion of the communities we work in. The villages, market towns, and city neighbourhoods that make this county so desirable are shaped by the people who live in them — and the organisations that support those people when life becomes difficult.
Supporting the Oxfordshire Community Foundation feels like a natural extension of what we do. We are proud to play a small part in their work, and we would encourage anyone who lives, works, or invests in Oxfordshire to find out more about how they can get involved — whether through donating, setting up a fund, or simply spreading the word.
To learn more about the Oxfordshire Community Foundation and the grants they offer, visit oxfordshire.org.