Finances
Oxford Friend was established as a telephone helpline and counselling service by a group of volunteers in 1980. We registered the organisation as a charity in 1988 (charity no. 299903). We are run entirely by volunteers, and this helps keep our costs to a minimum, spending around £2,000 per year.
Our main costs are publicity and advertising (bus adverts, stalls at events, leaflets, etc), rental of office and phone line and training of volunteers.
Our income comes from several sources. We have been lucky enough to get a small grant from Oxford City Council each year since 1984. We also receive regular standing-order donations from a core group of supporters and occasional donations from other individuals and organisations. In addition to this we make some money from fundraising activities and events. Lastly we make a certain amount by delivering training on lesbian and gay issues to other agencies.
It has always been support 'in kind' that has kept Oxford Friend going. We rely on volunteer time to run the helpline and email service and to produce publicity, run events and work in partnership with other organisations. (You can find out more about volunteering with OF below). Oxford City Council have assisted us over the years in various ways, importantly helping us finding premises and providing us with a room for meetings. On occasion we receive support from other agencies, especially the other Friend lines around the country.
Would you like to donate?
Just a few pounds will help us to continue to provide this valuable service.
Send your donation to Oxford Friend, PO Box 137, East Oxford DO, Oxford, OX4 2WL.
Or make a secure donation via PayPal (you don't need to have a PayPal account).