Community Action Groups Oxfordshire

‍Story of Self

I moved here four years ago from the U.S.A where I had worked for an NGO on access to National Parks, for groups that had historically been excluded. In the UK I initially worked for the University in a climate change research initiative. However, I found it too abstract and ‘heady’; I wanted to engage with people making tangible differences on the ground.

At CAG we celebrate what is possible through small actions by individuals and community groups to address climate issues and climate change anxiety in their communities. Our role as an organisation is to ‘cheer on’  those doing this crucial work. We provide moral support, specific advice, and connections to other groups, and, through events and networks, and  facilitate them to engage in more strategic conversations that may not occur otherwise.

Initially, our organisation began over 20 years ago, as a project stemming from a contract with the Oxfordshire County Council as part of their waste management strategy. Fast forward 20 years, and the CAG groups that have emerged are undertaking climate action way beyond the original waste management and circular economy remit, and Oxfordshire County Council have supported this growth.  In 2019, we were formally registered as a member-led organisation—a community benefit society—with over 100 member groups. 

Membership offers various benefits, including  help with insurance for community groups putting on events, and project grants to sustain their operations when needed. Volunteer-led groups, often run by just one or two individuals, can rely on us for support, and they realise they are not alone but  part of something bigger. That bespoke support can be crucial for groups sustaining the vital community infrastructure they provide. 

In our current strategy , we are emphasising  climate justice, encouraging member groups and wider stakeholders to consider the intersections of environment, economy, health and how inequalities contribute to the challenges we face. We recognise that engaging people in environmental concerns requires us to consider and also address their  primary economic realities.  An asylum seeking mother of a small baby with no recourse to public funds living in insecure housing will be unlikely to be able to think about recycling or climate action. 

Our work is about facilitating community climate actions which address multiple social and economic issues – helping people get the damp out of their homes or keeping warm through draft buster schemes, reducing food waste and alleviating food poverty and food education and enabling better access to greenspace. 

Story of Us 

We co-facilitate and support Owned by Oxford, a partnership of grass roots organisations, with a long-term vision for a fair, democratic, and sustainable economy in Oxford, an economy owned and controlled by its community that puts people, planet and wellbeing before profit. In 2023 we published their report ‘Developing Community Wealth from the Ground Up. 

Within our wider network we support many groups that are socially impactful trading organisations. Our assistance is often reactive and opportunistic, collaborating with groups such as Transition by Design, Makespace, and Share Oxford, and SESI on specific projects or proposals. We aim to  create capacity and opportunities for growth in value through these collaborations. For example, our partnership with Share Oxford—a lending library of things—has enabled us to compensate them for their expertise as they supported 3 other CAG groups to add “lending” to their traded services. 

We have initiated  and supported several ‘collaborate’ groups around specific issues, such as trees, circular economy, food growing, nature recovery, and markets. As a backbone organisation, we provide the necessary structure and space for these discussions. The google groups are very active sharing practical ideas and resources from hedgelaying to sharpening old tools. 

At the level of working with anchor institutions, we have collaborated with the NHS in highlighting local needs, and with public health to develop community hubs. We have engaged with county-wide forums like Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership and Oxfordshire Local Nature Partnership to advocate for more community voices in decision making processes. Our relationship with the County  Council as funders is strong and enables us to create opportunities for our member groups to engage with policy discussion. We have fewer formal ties with district authorities.  

At community level , the Owned by Oxford Partnership has allowed us to develop our relationship with OCA and Syrian  Sisters and Mothers for Justice, Aspire and Transition Lighthouse and AFiUK. We have been able to modify the support we offer to CAG members as part of our day to day work offering tailored guidance in support of these new partnerships as well. Working with these ‘new to CAG’ partners for example, help us build trust and create resources to bring them into other ‘green’ conversations. For example we are creating guidance to enhance accessibility to green spaces.

There is a lot of funding for nature activities and climate  related activities  in the County -  through OCC, Districts, OCF, OCVA , Public Health, TOE, National lottery. I would love to get a snapshot across the county of  what comes into the county and the number of groups it goes to.  I understand that these are often middle funders with obligations to the donors or commissioner above them.  But a big challenge for the county is the multiple funding sources and short term nature of funding. Projects like Bridge Street Garden  in Banbury for example.  The coordinator  has done so much to create a project that addresses multiple social issues locally from social isolation  and engaging diverse partners such as refugees in temporary accommodation.  So much of her energy has to go on grant applications, reporting and working out which  external relationships will be most useful to her project. Bridge Street Community Garden is just one example of the amazing groups working like this within the CAG network

Oxfordshire is blessed with  many community groups that are widespread working on a number of issues  along with infrastructure organisations and  charities providing services. There is a lot of work required of small community groups to maintain relationships with these institutions. 

Story of Now: Calls to Action

Accountability and risk

We need to place greater accountability on funders to support local capacity instead of extracting from it by requiring elaborate funding applications and reporting requirements for small bits of short-term funding.  We need to  reframe risk from perhaps an exaggerated sense of risk that small organisations will misuse funds, to trusting them so that they can focus on doing what they do well.  

Social Value Framework

We find that local authorities often struggle to go beyond their statutory obligations and engage with a broader community or social value perspective. Establishing a common framework for social value between County Council and Districts, for example in use of community buildings and assets,  could leverage  the statutory and regulatory frameworks  to  enable departments to go beyond the statutory  minimum for greater community impact. 

Finance working more effectively

We need funders and backbone organisations and anchor institutions  to come together  so we can shift the narrative around grant-making and support them to align with long-term impacts rather than short-term gains. We must consider how our sector supports communities sustainably, rather than creating systems which require them to spend so much time on applying and reporting.