A CHARITY fair in support of the Jubilee Fund for Oxfordshire was held this week.

The fund was launched in January by the Oxfordshire Community Foundation in recognition of the Queen’s commitment to the voluntary sector and Oxfordshire residents who have donated their time and money to help create a lasting legacy in the county.

The fair was hosted by Elsevier, the Kidlington-based publishing company, in the company’s offices. It was organised to encourage its staff to become involved with local community and charitable projects either by volunteering their time or raising funds for community groups.

Parent company Reed Elsevier has seen the benefits of encouraging staff to work as volunteers. Each year all Reed Elsevier employees are given two days off for voluntary work of their own choosing as part of its global community programme RE CaREs. Last year Elsevier staff in Kidlington gifted 207 volunteering days.

Anna Moon, a former managing director of Elsevier, who organised the fair said: “The employees find their volunteering days stimulating and extremely rewarding.”