Twenty six grassroots organisations in Oxford, ranging from local charities to community initiatives, have bagged a share of nearly £350,000.

The money comes from a partnership between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) who administered the fund through the council's Community Capacity Grants.

This scheme contributed more than £300,000 but local donors added almost £25,000 more to the pot.

Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for social care, said: "While we provided the initial funding, our strong partnership with Oxfordshire Community Foundation has meant that our community capacity grants have provided the greatest possible benefits for residents.

"OCF has the skills and connections to identify where the funding is most needed as well as being able to tap into a resource from generous local donors, resulting in a further two groups receiving funding."

The goal of the community capacity grants is to support the council's adult social care Oxfordshire Way vision of helping people live happily and independently in their own communities as long as possible.

Their approach involves support for organisations developing community-led initiatives, aimed at reducing isolation and loneliness, bolstering positive mental health, and enabling individuals to engage with physical exercise.

A total of £325,000 from the county council was divided between 24 local organisations. They were: Berin Centre, Bicester Green, Branch Trust, Broken Spoke, Cherwell Collective CIC, Chinnor Village Centre, Cholsey Volunteers Trust, Citizens Advice Oxfordshire Sth & Vale, Clear Sky, Daybreak, Flo's PPP, Gatehouse, Home-Start Southern Oxon, Lawrence Nursing Team, MuMo Creative, Oxford Contemporary Music, Oxfordshire Discovery College, Oxfordshire Volunteer Befriending Service, Oxford Sexual Abuse & Rape Crisis Centre (OSARCC), Q1 Foundation - The Hub, Root & Branch Westmill, Sustainable Wantage, The Mint House (Oxford Centre for Restorative Practice) and Volunteer Link Up.

Two more groups benefitted from the generosity of Oxfordshire's residents, with My Vision Oxfordshire and Windrush Bike Project each receiving a part of the almost £25,000 raised from private donations.

Zoe Sprigings, CEO of Oxfordshire Community Foundation, said: "We received 103 applications totalling £1.35 million.

"Whilst sadly not all could be funded, thanks to the generosity of donors who hold a donor-advised fund with OCF, we have been match-making to provide two further grants.

In the previous funding round, Children Heard and Seen, an organisation that supports children and families impacted by parental imprisonment, received a grant of £7,000.

Its efforts were channelled into a weekend residential trip for affected families, providing workshops that allowed the youngsters to express their feelings surrounding their parent's imprisonment creatively.

National statistics reveal that 65 per cent of boys with a parent in prison are likely to offend.

But this cycle is being disrupted by organizations like Children Heard and Seen, resulting in better outcomes for families.