Oxford Hub

Oxford Hub is a charity based in Oxford that promotes social action, campaigning, fundraising and volunteering among the student body of Oxford University.
History
Oxford Hub was co-founded by four students, Adam Grodecki, John Mellor, Adam O’Boyle and Rachel Stephenson. All of the co-founders had previous experience of working in student charity societies and, from their struggles with publicising events and recruiting students volunteers; they recognised the need for a central organisation coordinating support.
In May 2007 the group held an initial meeting with charitable student societies to gauge interest, and the need for a central organisation was confirmed. The initial funding from the Oxfordshire Community Foundation came through in the summer of 2007 and Oxford Hub was founded.
Today, the Oxford Hub is part of a network, Student Hubs, which is a group of similar organisations at Bristol, Cambridge and Southampton Universities.
Activities
The Oxford Hub has a variety of functions - it supports many student-led charities in a variety of ways including training events and publicity.
The sub-division Oxford Hub Community Volunteers deals entirely with connecting students with volunteering opportunities in the local community and supporting student-led community volunteering projects.
The Hub runs various events including large-scale development conferences a weekly speaker event known as The Series. All activities are publicised through a weekly email, The Week, sent out each Sunday - students can sign up to receive this email and it contains information of events taking place each week and opportunities to get involved with organisations.
Oxford Hub also promotes and supports its members, which are student-led charitable and campaigning groups.
Member groups
*Ageaid
*AIESEC OXFORD
*Christian Aid
*EWB-Oxford
*FELLOW
*Food Justice
*Friends of Helen and Douglas House
*Hands up for Darfur, Oxford
*Homeless Action Group
*Jacari
*KEEN, Oxford
*Kenya Educations Partnerships, Oxford
*Kids Adventure, Hertford and Wadham
*Magdelen College Young Carers Project
*
*Oaktree Foundation UK
*Oxbridge Summer Camps Abroad
*OUSU Environment and Ethics Committee
*OX1 Fridays
*Oxbridge Cultural Exchange Project
*Oxford Aegis Society
*Oxford Development Abroad
*Oxford Roots and Shoots
*Oxford Stop Aids Society
*Oxford Student Action for Refugees
*Oxford Students’ Fairtrade Coalition
*Oxford Students Supporting Street Kids
*Oxford Students’ Oxfam Group
*Oxford UNICEF
*Oxford University Amnesty International
*Oxford University Habitat for Humanity
*People and Planet
*READ International Oxford
*STIR Oxford
*Student Run Self Help
*Talent Bank
*Tenteleni
*The Green Project
*The Hive, Oxford
*Travelaid
*U8 Oxford
*Zindagi, Oxford
Events
Oxford Forum for International Development
The Oxford Forum for International Development (OxFID) is a series of lectures and workshops conducted by internationally renowned speakers.
At the Inaugural OxFID in 2008, the theme was "Focus on Africa".
In 2009, OxFID’s theme was "Creative Solutions to Urgent Problems", and speakers included Lord Patten, Chancellor of the University of Oxford, co-founder of the Global Commons Institute and Sam Brickersteth, Head of Policy at Oxfam.
At the most recent Conference in 2010 the theme was "Development in Crisis and Conflict" and speakers included Oxford University Professor of Economics Paul Collier, Foreign Correspondent for Channel 4 Lindsey Hilsum and Shadow Secretary for International Development Andrew Mitchell.
Oxford Social Enterprise Forum
The Oxford Social Enterprise Forum (OxSEF) is a series of workshops and panel debates conducted by internationally renowned speakers. The event engages with the concept of social enterprise.
In 2009 OxSEF’s theme was ‘A new form of capitalism?’ and some of the topics that were debated included ‘How do you measure social impact?’ and ‘A new form of capitalism. Does the current economic crisis present an opportunity for a new way of doing business?’
Speakers included Sir David King, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, Dr. Alex Nicholls, first lecturer in social entrepreneurship appointed at the University of Oxford nd Malcom Hayday, Chief Executive of The Charity Bank Limited.
Following OxSEF, Oxford Hub was involved in hosting Skoll Emerge in association with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepeneurship at the University of Oxford.
International Development Course
The Introduction to International Development Convference (IID) is a combination of speeches and workshops aimed to give attendees an introductory understanding of the main developmental issues affecting the world today.
The event was originally called the International Develpoment Course (IDC) in 2008 and speakers included Dr. Julian Oram, Policy Director of the World Development Movement, Christine Allen, Executive Director of Progressio and David Howarth, MP for Cambridge.
In 2009 Speakers at the IID included Robert Archer, Executive Director of the International Council on Human Rights
Policy, Firoze Manji, Founder and Executive Director, Fahamu and Editor, Pambazuka News and Corinne Lennox, Lecturer in Human Rights, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.
The Series
The Series is a weekly speaker event run by the Oxford Hub in conjunction with student-led charitable groups. Discussions are based around social and environmental topics appropriate to the host charity.
Past speakers include:
*Professor Chandran Kukathas, chair of Political Theory at the London School of Economics.
*Benny Wenda, West Papuan Independence leader and former political prisoner.
*Chris Goodall, Green Party Candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon, columnist for the Independent on Sunday and author of ‘How to Live a Low-Carbon Life’.
*Lord Robert May, President Elect of the British Association for the Advancement of Science; former Chief Scientific Advisor to HM Government and former Director of the Royal Society.
*Peter Tatchell, former Labour Party Candidate and noted campaigner.
*Simon Berry, founder of Cola Life.
Community Volunteers
Oxford Hub Community Volunteers was set up as an activity of Oxford Hub to deal specifically with students volunteering in the local community.
Oxford Hub Community Volunteers puts students in contact with local volunteering opportunities, as well as helping students to set up and run their own community volunteering projects. Student volunteers can undertake many activities including tutoring local children, playing sports with young asylum seekers and helping to redistribute supermarket food waste.
Community Volunteers member groups
*Ageaid
*Food Justice
*Friends of Helen and Douglas House
*Green Cycle
*Homeless Action Group
*Kids Adventure: At Hertford and Wadham Colleges
*Magdelen Young Carers
*Student Run Self Help
*STIR - Students Together to Improve Reading
*Talent Bank
*Youth Drop-in Centre
References
* Article about Oxford Hub on the University of Oxford website
* Information about Oxford Hub Community Volunteers on the University of Oxford website
* information about Oxford Hub on Younoodle.com
 
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