GENEROUS people living in Oxford are bucking the trend by continuing to give to charity despite the recession.

Oxfam, which started life in Oxford in 1942, said this week that donations to its charity shops were down 15 per cent nationally.

But, Oxford’s six shops are still enjoying a healthy flow of donations.

Stuart Fowkes, based at the charity’s headquarters in Cowley, said the picture was good at Oxfam’s shops in St Giles, Turl Street, Broad Street, Cowley Road, Headington and Summertown.

He added: “We appear to be bucking the trend.

“Donations in Oxford seem to be have been holding steady over the past 12 months.

“We would like to say thanks to the generous people in Oxford.”

More than 80 per cent of Oxfam’s £308m annual income comes from its shops selling goods donated by the public.

But this week David McCullough, Oxfam’s director of trading, announced that, for the second year running, donations to its shops had dropped by 15 per cent.

He said the charity had seen an increase in purchases from its shops, with sales up five per cent year on year.

Jan Tansley, who has been a manager at Oxfam’s Broad Street shop for 15 years, said she thought Oxford’s affluence and generous nature had kept donations steady.

She added: “We get a steady flow and it all tends to be of very good quality.

“It could be also something to do with the fact we have a lot of Students in the city.

“Students from other countries in particular tend to come here to deck themselves out, and then bring it back here as a donation before they move back home.”

Mrs Tansley added: “The only thing we don’t get much of is bric-a-brac, which will always be welcome.

“Everything that people bring to us will be gratefully received.”