This event will bring together communities and networks in the impact space in Oxfordshire to celebrate the power of collaboration and community support, and the benefits of being part of a group or network. We will be exploring collaboration opportunities, sharing ideas, and looking at ways of supporting each other. We will start the session with a facilitated panel discussion, with panelists sharing their experience of being part of a network, followed by networking with nibbles and festive drinks.

The discussion will cover:

• The benefits of being part of a community

• Peer support

• Promotion and marketing

• Advice and information sharing

• Opportunities and innovation

Who is it for?

This meet up is aimed at local Oxfordshire businesses and organisations that are part of OX4 Food Crew, CAG Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire Co-ops, Independent Oxford & Good Food Oxfordshire, or would like to find out more about the benefits of being part of these networks.

The panel

A panel of representatives from these networks will be sharing their experiences and the value they get from being part of a network community.

The panelists are:

Hassan Sabrie from Oxford Community Action

Hassan Sabrie is a Community Catalyst, Energiser, Entrepreneur, Activist and Advocate – passionate and always acting on behalf of others – young people, families, those in need of support, those whose voice is not being heard enough from Blackbird Leys to Somalia (where with his family he supports education projects for women and girls). One of four founding Directors of Oxford Community Action and OCA Kitchen – a social enterprise creating great food and raising money for good as well as many other activities.

Jo Harvey from The Mix Community Space

Jo Harvey runs The Mix Community Space, an initiative of Sustainable Wantage, which has been a member of the CAG network since 2013. The Mix does everything from hosting monthly repair cafes, to collecting old laptops to repair and give to students in need, to distributing surplus food to the local community through its community fridge, to serving as a refill shop for SESI detergents, and running workshops and courses on topics from Mindfulness to basket weaving. The Mix is just one of the projects run by the volunteer-led Sustainable Wantage which also engages local residents in promoting biodiversity, running a community garden, managing a small woodland, and more! Jo has been a Sustainable Wantage volunteer for more than 12 years.

Sandra Ruge from Waste2Taste

Waste2Taste was set up in 2017 by two friends, Sandra & Marie. They a vision to continue to build a vibrant, healthy and sustainable food culture, committed to reducing food waste and tackling food insecurity in Oxford, using food surplus as the main source of ingredients at their Café and catering business.

They practice “ Food with A Conscience” – fighting climate change forged with kindness and community spirit.

They support a variety of groups struggling with food poverty by providing emergency food provision, alongside accessible training and mentoring which builds individual and communal resilience. Their Health & Wellbeing workshops have a way to empower groups by increasing skills and confidence in cooking, creating peer to peer support, enjoying eating together and mentoring. The café is a supportive, welcoming and accessible place, for people from all walks of life to come in and have a hot meal or drink.

Aiming to promote and ensure good health and community spirit, bringing people together through monthly community days, celebrating diversity, food and their own cultures, sharing recipes, life experiences and knowledge.

They provide supported volunteering placements to people experiencing isolation and loneliness and /or mental health challenges in our area…

The Venue

Flo’s is a community-owned café and centre based in Florence Park in the east of the city where people can meet to work, play, create, and learn. Fadia’s Feasts at Flo’s will be providing delicious Middle Eastern inspired nibbles alongside festive drinks.

Fadia and Karim will be catering for this event. The team at Flo’s got to know Fadia through their work and friendship with the Syrian Sisters as she was an original member of Damascus Rose Kitchen. Fadia works with her son Karim in Flo’s kitchen every weekend – cooking up the most delicious Syrian inspired mezze, falafel and other dishes.

You can read more about them on pages 6 and 7 of Flo’s impact report >>

https://www.flosoxford.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Flos_Impact_Report_2022_A3spreads-1.pdf

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About eScalate

eScalate, is a three-year project, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which runs until April 2023 to support Social Enterprises, social entrepreneurs, enterprising charities and purposeful businesses in Oxfordshire.

Support includes:

• one to ones
• workshops
• peer support

For more information about the eScalate programme , visit www.oxfordshirelep.com/escalate

Please note that this event is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is delivered as part of the eScalate programme to help SMEs. By engaging in this programme you are being offered assistance under the De Minimis regulation which allows a company to receive up to but not exceeding €200,000 of public funding (at the applicable exchange rate) of De Minimis aid over a rolling three-tax year fiscal period. This De Minimis declaration does not cover undertakings engaged in: the primary production of agricultural goods and fisheries/aquaculture, road freight, services of general economic interest and export related activities and activities favouring domestic over imported goods. Please note, support cannot be given to undertakings (businesses) in difficulty. In order to receive support from this programme, you will be required to complete an application form and other relevant documentation. If you need to check your current position for state aid please contact us. If you would like any further information on De Minimis aid and Special Drawing Rights (SDR) subsidies, please see the state aid page on the OxLEP Business website:

https://oxlepbusiness.co.uk/state-aid