When people ask me what I do with my life, the second thing which comes to mind– no prizes for guessing the first thing, look at which publication you’re reading and you’ll have your answer– is the Oxford Hub. The Oxford Hub is a local charity which focuses on improving the community in the city through volunteering, and has made my student experience extremely worthwhile. As a Crankstart Scholar, they helped me find opportunities to volunteer and I’m grateful to have formed meaningful connections with my learner from FELLOW and volunteers. And as a side note, it’s as if competency, kindness, and general good vibes are a prerequisite for those working at Oxford Hub because I’ve not had an interaction with anyone where it’s been anything short of lovely and well-organised.
Let’s dive into this interview, and see if it piques your interest to also get involved!
- First of all, let’s start with some introductions! Your names, roles at Oxford Hub, and what you would say Oxford Hub is for those who may not know?
- Jess, University and Community Partnerships Manager!
- Sharleen, FELLOW Coordinator! We work with refugees, asylum seekers and those who can’t afford English lessons or need English lessons to help them manage their daily affairs in the community. It’s for everyone who needs help to communicate in English.
- Ella, Big Brothers Big Sisters manager. We all work on some of the volunteering programmes which Oxford Hub offer! I’d say the Oxford Hub is a local charity which works to build a more equal Oxford, by running volunteering programmes and community development programmes across the city.
- What would you say Oxford Hub’s ethos is?
- ‘Working together to make Oxford a better place’, the motto of the charity! – Jess
- Tackling inequality – health, education, and opportunity. Everything we do is about making Oxford more equal! – Ella
- What initiatives/volunteering programmes do you offer?
- We offer loads of different volunteering opportunities from working with young people as a tutor in a subject of your choice, to a weekly language exchange! We also have great partnerships with other organisations across Oxford, and we really think we can help students find something that suits their interests and skill set. – Jess
- We also offer one-off volunteering opportunities, which are more related to our community development work– the best way to keep up to date and find out about these is by signing up to our newsletter. – Ella
- You can check out our ‘what’s on’ document to keep up to date with everything we’re doing. There’s also FELLOW, which is a 1:1 English mentoring programme! – Sharleen
- How can people get involved?
- Get in touch! Email us at hello@oxfordhub.org or go to our website https://www.oxfordhub.org, sign up to our student newsletter, or alternatively come and visit us at our office on Little Clarendon Street, we are always happy to chat to anyone interested in volunteering! – Jess
- How is Oxford Hub funded?
- A mix – like most charities, our main source is grant funding, a lot of which is year-on-year. We’ve also had support from the city and county councils and Oxford University which we are very grateful for!
- We’re also grateful to our individual donors – people in the community who donate to our appeals and help us do the work we do! We are always on the look out for people who may want to support our fundraising – we’ve had an Oxford college complete a row-athon to support Schools Plus, our tutoring project – so very up for hearing and supporting any potential fundraising ideas! – Ella
- Best part of working for OxHub?
- The people! Everyone is so friendly and absolutely dedicated to working hard to improve the lives of those living in Oxford. The atmosphere in the office is always a good one and that is so important! – Jess
Anything you’d like to say to the readers of the Oxford Blue?
- Please come and get involved! We are always looking for students to contribute to the amazing work we do. We need your passion and unique skills to make our projects the best they can possibly be, and you’ll get to meet an amazing group of people along the way! – Jess