THE chief executive of the Charity Commission, Helen Stephenson, visited the Oxfordshire Community Foundation.

Ms Stephenson took a trip to Oxford to meet some of the charities that have been funded by OCF and to talk about how the Commission is performing.

She was accompanied in Oxford by Charity Commission trustee Eryl Besse and was welcomed by the OCF's chief executive Jayne Woodley.

Ms Stephenson was appointed to her current position in July.

She visited My Life My Choice, an advocacy charity for adults with learning difficulties.

Representatives challenged the Charity Commission to help make the service more accessible.

She also visited Yellow Submarine, a social enterprise cafe in Park End Street, which employs apprentices with disabilities. Ms Stephenson enjoyed a coffee there.

“What has impressed me is the ability that the community foundation has to support these important charities, but also to broker relationships with the public sector, the private sector – and to be a real glue that helps some of these community organisations flourish. I’m really grateful for the opportunity, it’s really great for me to be able to experience again why charities are such an important part of our society, and particularly here in Oxford.”

She also later visited other Oxford charities Aspire and Trax after lunch with Lisa Ward, the director of Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre.