Our parent company’s charitable arm, The Gannett Foundation, is providing £125,000 in cash, to support local charities across the country and the Oxford Mail is delighted to have a £20,000 share to give away in our area.

And we want you to decide where this money should be spent.

We are asking Oxford Mail readers to nominate their favourite local charities to be considered for a grant.

Read again: Sports ground expansion gets the go ahead

Making a nomination couldn’t be easier – simply log on to oxfordmail.co.uk/readerschoice and fill in your nomination form or you can write to us, confirming the name and address of the charity you would like to nominate and why to: Readers’ Choice Cash For Charity Nominations, Newsquest Midlands, Redhill House, 227 London Road, Worcester WR5 2JG, by the closing date of Sunday, October 3.

Once all nominations have been received, our editor will select eight of the most popular local charities to be featured in this year’s grants scheme.

Oxford Mail editor Pete Gavan said: "This is a great initiative and one I’d encourage you to get behind. If you know a local charity that you think is deserving, then please let us know.

"It might be one that went the extra mile during the pandemic, or a group that plays a key role it its community. Whatever the reason, make sure you get your nomination in."

Read again: Organisations ask Prime Minister not to cut universal credit uplift

We are then going to put the power to allocate the cash back into the hands of our readers – for four weeks, readers will be invited to collect tokens from our newspapers which can then be sent to collection points across our region or posted.

Each token collected will then be used to allocate cash to the nominated charity – so if your favourite charity collects 50% of all to tokens collected, it will receive 50% of the £20,000.

In 2018, four Oxfordshire causes were awarded funds.

These included Dovecote Voluntary Parent Committee in Greater Leys, which received £8,645.

Founded in 1996 by a group of parents, it provides a range of activities to improve the lives of children from deprived backgrounds or with special needs.

The Dovecote centre is a well-equipped, friendly and resourceful centre and an ideal venue for babies and children activities, meetings and training.

The committee used the funding to buy all-weather turf for its outdoor play area, new equipment including goal posts and a seesaw and new indoor toys, board games and fancy dress costumes.

Carol Richards, children and families services manager at the Dovecote Centre, said in 2018: “The support of the Gannett Foundation is very much appreciated and valued.

“It is a great feeling to know we have the resources to provide children, young people and families living in Blackbird Leys with a more exciting and stimulating environment in which to have many hours of fun whilst learning and developing.

“A huge thank you to trustees for their valuable support; in such a challenging time for voluntary groups this means such a lot to the Children and Families project and huge pick-me-up.”

Read more: All smiles as 250 take part in Witney colour run

In 2017 young carers enjoyed memorable trips to Harry Potter World, Thorpe Park and Cadbury’s World thanks to a £5,700 grant from the Gannett Foundation.

South and Vale Young Carers was supporting those aged eight to 24 living in South Oxfordshire who look after family members.