BRANCH NEWS

Co-working space to let!

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:44:16 GMT

Book your space now.

The garden floor of The Branch will offer high quality, scalable and flexible, light-filled co-working space for businesses to rent. If you would be interested in renting a permanent dedicated desk space (or multiple desks for a team) with lockable secure storage and 24/7 access please get in touch at office@thebranchtrust.org.

Christmas Hampers

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:35:54 GMT

Transforming lives

It was such a joy to be able to deliver hampers, containing an Aldi voucher and generously donated Christmas goodies, to 139 households before Christmas - those identified as being the most needy by our wide local network of referrers.

Thanks to your generosity, the message of ‘hope’ that Christmas symbolises became real and meaningful for each these households. The appreciation was very evident, from the hugs of gratitude and tears of relief to the whoops of delight as volunteers delivered hampers. One message of thanks read:

I've just got home and found the massive bags of presents! You are all so good to me … it's brought so much cheer and joy to my heart!

We are so thankful to be part of such a supportive community, drawing alongside one another to bring hope, transforming lives.

A BIG thank you!

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:31:45 GMT

Fundraising target exceeeded!

THANK YOU to everyone who generously supported us through the Big Give Christmas Challenge and spread the word so others might support it. It was an extraordinary campaign, achieving far more than we thought would be possible, raising over £30,000! These funds will help us equip The Branch to offer:

a local base for partner agencies, including computer terminals for community access
a garden space and nurture pod for horticultural therapy and mental health support
the expansion of our ‘Branch Out & Cook’ course and apprenticeship ready scheme
signposting and social action for those in need
We really appreciate the huge number of individuals who have supported us for the first time through this campaign. Thank you for joining us on the journey of building hope and seeing lives transformed in our community.

The Branch unveiled

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:24:47 GMT

No more hoardings!

The removal of the hoardings outside The Branch will be welcomed by many, opening up the Market Place and providing relief for the extremely patient local market holders and businesses who have been affected. It is also a clear sign that completion of this phenominal project is in sight!

With only a few months to go there is a lot of work going on both inside and outside the building. The fit-out phase is in full swing, with partition walls, plaster-boarding, ceiling works, internal staircases, sanitaryware installation, mechanical/electrical/plumbing ‘first-fix’ and decoration all happening at once… Gary, the Site Manager, certainly has his work cut out coordinating it all!

Completion of the building works and the handover back to The Branch Trust has, unfortunately, slipped to late March – those extra groundworks and roof-works, those still-troublesome supply chains (who would have guessed that steel, roof-tiles and glass could be so problematic?), plus that atrocious weather leading up to Christmas, have all eventually taken their toll!

But, with the end in sight, there is a growing excitement that we will soon be getting our remodelled building back, providing a fantastic base to operate from and a beautiful, versatile space to share with the community… we can’t wait!

Cocklebarrow Races

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 17:10:13 GMT

Sunday 21st January

Please come and join us for refreshments in the heated tent at Cocklebarrow Races where Knight Frank have generously invited us to join their stand/area. It will be a pleasure to see you. For general event information and tickets click here.

The St. Kenelm's Concert

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:56:51 GMT

International Classical Trio

Connie Pharoah (above), Hannah Gillingham and Milo Harper

Based in the Netherlands and the UK, Connie Pharoah, Hannah Gillingham and Milo Harper are three amazing young musicians playing the viola, flute and harp.

1st March 2024, 19:00.
Church Enstone, Church Enstone, Chipping Norton OX7 4NN, UK

These concerts have a growing reputation and are now part of the Dean & Chadlington Summer Music Festival. On 1st March this concert is generously being held in aid of The Branch Trust – we would be thrilled to see you there for a magical evening. Click here to find out more and to purchase tickets.

The Big Give

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:01:34 GMT

Your donation will be doubled

Coming soon, is an opportunity to make a donation to The Branch that will be instantly doubled. A donation of £5 will result in £10 being awarded to The Branch, up to a total target of £22,500.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge 28th November to 5th December 

Look out for this campaign week and please spread the word! We are hoping this exciting opportunity will encourage new local supporters to join us on this journey; building hope and transforming lives through the creation of The Branch and all it will enable for our community; creating a legacy for this area and a blueprint for others to follow.

Almost There!

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:58:05 GMT

Three quarters of the way to completion

So much has changed since we last wrote to you! Now three-quarters of the way to completing the redevelopment work on the building, we are thrilled to see the roof almost completed on the new community hall that has been erected at the rear of the building, replacing an old Victorian extension. This new building will hold the first Community Kitchen in West Oxfordshire, enabling 10 students per session to undertake food preparation, learning new skills as part of our Apprenticeship Ready programme.

We have been very grateful for the dry, sunny weather as much work has taken place on roof work in general, carrying out extensive vital repairs. The facade has also had a good clean, and we continue on schedule to complete the renovations in February 2024.

If you would like to be more involved in supporting this work please click here or email campaign@thebranchtrust.org . For regular weekly updates on progress with the build plus other Branch news follow us on Instagram at 'thebranchtrust'

Christmas at The Branch

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:47:54 GMT

So grateful

We are so grateful for the help of the extraordinary volunteers who have in previous years transformed The Branch into Santa’s Grotto: gathering, sorting, wrapping and delivering 1000s of gifts to over 280 families in need in and around Chipping Norton.

We love working with you to do this and it has been massively appreciated, both by the recipients and by the agencies that refer to us.They see those who are most in need at Christmas getting vital extra support.

This year, however, as we reach the final stages of our build project, the eyes of the team must stay closely focussed on our move into the building – where ultimately, we will be able to help even more families. This does mean that we are going to do Christmas a little differently this year. This may be disappointing to many of you, who have enjoyed being able to participate in previous years. Please bear with us, this is for one year only whilst we make this massive move.

We still want to reach those families who need support most, but we will be doing it in a more streamlined way this year considering current constraints of time, space and people power.

What will we offer this year?

Aldi Voucher for £40 to cover the cost of Christmas Lunch for a family (along with a budget pack to help them best manage the Cost-Of-Living Crisis)
Food Goodies Hamper
Toiletries bag for mums – mums are often the ones who do not get a present, and we know these are much appreciated. Amazingly, a partner charity, Thrive, has already said that they will provide these.

How can you help?

Sponsor a Family’s Christmas Lunch
make a donation of £40 to buy a family Christmas Lunch. We will make sure it gets to a family who struggles https://thebranchtrust.enthuse.com/Christmas
Donate dry goods
throughout December there will be a donation 'Christmas Tree' in St Mary’s Church with tags asking for specific food donations – mince pies, tins of biscuits etc, which we will make into hampers for families.

Please note we will not be gathering and distributing gifts so PLEASE NO DONATIONS OF TOYS ETC.

Thank you!

Own My Life

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:41:09 GMT

A New Course

This term we have launched a new course aimed at helping those who have suffered from domestic abuse. 'Own My Life' helps those affected by abuse regain ownership of their lives and move forward with hope and positivity, and we are proud to be running one of the first courses in the County funded by your generosity.

Tragically, since we first shared the shockingly high local statistics in 2019 of reported cases of violent and sexual offences, (the majority of which is made up of domestic abuse reporting), the figure has increased by over 50%. In the 12 months to the end of July 2023 Thames Valley Police figures show that there were 428 violent and sexual crimes reported in Chipping Norton.

Given that the majority of domestic abuse incidents go unreported, this figure is of real concern and highlights the increasing need for The Branch to develop this area of support. It is maybe not surprising that this new Domestic Abuse recovery course was instantly over-subscribed with a waiting list long enough to fill a second course. Once we move into The Branch we will have sufficient space to be able to run additional courses to meet demand.

Join us on this Journey

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:37:28 GMT

As we look ahead

Over the coming months we continue to seek opportunities to invite others to join this journey of transformation for our community. There are many ways to get involved which we would love you to share with others:

Become a Friend
Commit the value of a coffee a week to become a regular monthly supporter and share in our transformative impact story.

One off donations
Small or large make a huge difference.

Fundraise for us

Jonathan ran a marathon, raising about £4,000
Carolina used a vintage car rally to raise the profile of the charity across the globe, and significant donations.

Corporate Sponsorship

we love to partner with local businesses, offering mutual benefits and a chance to play a part in creating innovative opportunities for local people to access training and employment.

For more information click on any of the links above or email campaign@thebranchtrust.org

Lived Experiences Initiative

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:22:45 GMT

A vital inspiration for all we do.

Keeping lived experience at the heart of shaping the work of The Branch is vital and the inspiration for all we do. Over the past decade, services have been cut dramatically in the Chipping Norton area and mental health support has been withdrawn to Oxford and Banbury. For those without a car, and limited finances, this creates a huge barrier with significant impact on wellbeing.

The Branch wants to see more accessible and effective mental health services back in this area. In order to put together a case for this, we are gathering the experiences, thoughts and opinions of local people to find out what accessing support is really like and what could be improved. Using a short survey (see QR code above – feel free to take part!) and focus group discussions, we aim to hear from a diverse range of voices to feed into a report, including case studies, which will paint the real picture of current mental health support and what changes the community want to see. The report will form the basis of a roundtable discussion with professionals and will, we hope, be a step towards positive changes for mental health locally.

Therapeutic Horticulture

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:02:19 GMT

Nurture Garden

The benefits of therapeutic horticulture projects are becoming well known including raised self-esteem and improved physical and mental wellbeing. Nurturing growing plants from seed to harvest is a powerful symbol of patience and hope as well as a chance to learn new skills. Creating activities that are achievable for all helps remove barriers so that everyone can participate and flourish.

We have begun a Nurture Garden project at St.Mary's Primary school. A girl attending the first session suffered from severe anxiety , especially around dirt. The group was asked to mix compost and perlite ready for planting seeds. The little girl was initially very reluctant, but by the end of the session, with support from the therapist, she had embraced the task, first wearing gloves and finally with bare hands. She felt very proud of herself and her mother was amazed and grateful. Such sessions, with the right balance of encouragement and environment, can be transformative . 

When The Branch garden is developed, we will roll out similar therapeutic sessions to the wider community.

Engaging Young People

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:52:54 GMT

We love creating opportunities for young people to get involved in our work.

Just this last month:

A garden transformation, pond clearance (making the school pond useable) and redecorating a classroom, have all been achieved by students from Kingham Hill school, creating a huge difference for their community, with much fun, hard work and frogs!
Chipping Norton school design students continue to engage with the redevelopment of The Branch through monthly hard hat site visits,chatting each time to different members of the team and learning about their roles: Site Manager, Groundworkers, Architect, Quantity Surveyor & Structural Engineer.

Next term, as we move more into fit-out, it will be time to learn more about the trades.

Passed the halfway point

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:29:05 GMT

A significant milestone

The big news is that we have passed the halfway point on the redevelopment of The Branch. As the project gets 'Out of Ground', we are praying for a 'fair wind' ahead!

In the last 7 months:

656 tonnes of demolition rubble and  720 tonnes of soil have been extracted – coming up on conveyor belts to exit through a window
104 cubic metres (260 tonnes) of concrete plus a lot of other materials, have gone the other way to level the floors, making easy access for all.

The image below gives an indication of the journey ahead as the new hall begins to emerge, providing Oxfordshire's 1st Community Kitchen with 10 mobile cooking stations, and flexible rentable office space on the garden floor below.

Hoardings

Mon, 01 May 2023 10:21:58 GMT

Our long awaited infographics are finally visible on the hoardings around The Branch building site, sharing the key messages about what The Branch will offer and enable in the local community.

Branch out and build

Mon, 01 May 2023 10:13:07 GMT

An opportunity for 10 students from Chipping Norton School to follow the redevelopment work on site with monthly hard hat visits. On each visit to they will hear from a different trade within the building industry, which we hope will be followed up by work experience and possibly apprenticeship opportunities.

Corporate Sponsorship

183:915830499 — Mon, 01 May 2023 10:05:12 GMT

Change lives and livelihoods
livelihoods

First Corporate Sponsor

We are thrilled that Knight Frank have agreed to be our first Corporate Sponsor, sponsoring the hoardings during the 60 weeks of construction.

More Corporate Sponsorship opportunities

We are offering Corporate Sponsorship packages that will link directly to an aspect of The Branch. The window for this opportunity closes in early February 2024!

As well as having access to our extensive networks and exposure in all our marketing, sponsorship benefits will include access to apprenticeships, team building/ volunteering opportunities, and a share in our transformative impact story.

For more information
click here

Corporate Sponsorship

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 13:00:00 GMT

From early in our journey of creating The Branch we have been very grateful for the support of local companies, from BrandCooke helping us create our original marketing materials and website, Wild Thyme cooking the meals that we delivered through Lockdown, and Wigwam playing a crucial role in our social action work through the use of their vans to move furniture.

There was tremendous excitement when a locally managed team from Virgin o2 Mobile offered to hold a 'tech' workshop at Connect cafe. The team worked their way around the room with immense patience, listening to visitors' conundrums with their phones and IT gadgets, working tech miracles. They set people up on new phones that we had been donated and helped others become confident to use Banking Apps. For one elderly person this was transformative as the local branch of his bank had closed and this meant he no longer had to get on a bus or sit in a long telephone queue to do his banking. Huge thanks to Virgin o2 and we are thrilled that they will be coming back to run more.

Could your Company help transform lives?

Do you have a company who could partner with The Branch? There are corporate sponsorship packages from £50 through to £50,000 . Your company could supply all the equipment needed for one of our 10 mobile cookery stations - that way you could enable a young person like Adam to re-engage with education, learn new skills and unlock his potential. After weeks of refusing to attend school, last week he joined a Branch Out to Cook session and this boosted his confidence, and meant he had a good meal before agreeing to go into school for two more lessons that day.

If you or your company would like to support The Branch in this way, please get in touch to discuss sponsorship of a room or item in the building at campaign@thebranchtrust.org .

The Branch Redevelopment

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:57:00 GMT

Like us, you are probably desperate to hear when the main works on The Branch renovation will start....

We've had the excitement of handing over the keys to our appointed building contractors, the building is now stripped out and ready for the builders and AMAZINGLY we have reached our initial fundraising target - with huge thanks to all of you who have played a part in that!

However, we could never have anticipated that this project was going to run alongside a pandemic and now a European War ,and as many of you will be aware inflation has dramatically affected the building market. We have seen unprecedented price rises (for example, the price of steel has soared by over 200%).

After engaging in a detailed value engineering exercise to reduce costs, with as minimal impact on original plans as possible, we still find ourselves with a considerable funding gap. In light of this we have been obliged to adjust our schedule, pushing the start of the build project back to the Autumn, to allow time for redrawing and pricing and raising the additional funds.

We have been really encouraged by the understanding many supporters have already shown - and the additional financial support they have given - particularly those in the construction field who are experiencing similar situations. We are so grateful to be part of a community that is pulling together to create a legacy for generations to come. If you feel you could help in any way (big or small) to meet the £500,000 funding gap we would be most delighted to hear from you at campaign@thebranchtrust.org.

A rise in demand on our services

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:55:00 GMT

We are seeing a radical rise in demand on our services. This is a snapshot of the last 7 days (all in addition to our regular Wellbeing, CAP Life Skills, DA recovery courses and youth group) - a constant reminder WHY The Branch is needed:Wigwam filled up and delivered a truck of furniture to 2 familiesA working party from Kingham Hill School volunteered on 3 social action projects, clearing two gardens and decorating a house10 Ukrainians visitors attended language lessons to improve their EnglishFinal stages of creating a film to amplify the voices of women in our community who have suffered Domestic Abuse20 children from Chipping Norton School were mentored or joined our “Branch Out and Cook" or music coursesReceived referrals for 15 children’s school uniforms so they will arrive feeling proud and with shiny shoes on their first day of schoolAdvocated for 3 homeless familiesEnsured one Domestic Abuse victim has the correct representation in CourtCelebrated that 9 families have become debt free this yearPartnered with other charities and statutory services to ensure support is in place for the summer holidays and can be easily accessed.Another Connect Café full of welcome, advice, craft, coffee and cake - bursting at the seamsA text of thanks from a mum…”thank you for your help…I was at my wits end, but because of your help I have been able to wash our clothes and cook a meal".

Your support is bringing about transformation

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:46:00 GMT

Not only is your support bringing about transformation of individual lives, but also of The Branch building as we hand over the keys to our builders.

Supporting Ukraine

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:46:00 GMT

Just as The Branch acted to meet the needs of the community throughout the pandemic, we are now responding to the new need as the first Ukrainian guests arrive in the area.

There is a need to both give practical support to guests and hosts, as well as provide a welcoming place for individuals and families to feel safe and to feel part of life here in England. We hope they will find this at our Connect Cafe, where they can not only enjoy coffee and cake and meet people, but we have two volunteers who speak Russian and will be able to help Ukrainians with all the forms that have to be completed, as well as school applications and signposting to other services.

There is a craft area and games, so lots of opportunity to start to feel part of the community and to learn English - and for us to learn some Ukrainian and more about their country and traditions.

As the needs emerge, we are ready to respond - whether that is setting up a toy library or offering support around language lessons, so watch this space to see how you might be able to help.

If you would like to support the work of the The Branch, practically or financially - from baking cakes to providing the funds for a bus ticket for a Ukrainian family to access services - then please do get in touch at campaign@thebranchtrust.org .

The Phoenix Project: using story and voice to empower and inspire

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:45:00 GMT

Meet Helen… when we met 4 years ago, Helen and her two children were fleeing domestic abuse. We are now celebrating with her as she sets up her own business and is creating the life that she and her children truly deserve.

Throughout this time Helen has had a picture of a phoenix rising out of the ashes, and we have named our current project, working with women recovering from domestic abuse, The Phoenix Project ...

Living through trauma or abuse for any length of time can strip away a sense of identity and often leaves a person feeling unseen and unheard. The Phoenix Project celebrates the stories of women who've experienced this - giving them a voice that will inspire others.

In partnership with Community Albums, and with generous funding from West Oxfordshire District Council these women are making a film to raise awareness of the signs and red flags of domestic abuse, the help that is available and a life beyond that abuse. Using their own stories and incredible creativity, the women have taken ownership of the film and the message that it provides. Their collective drive is about offering hope to those that need it - "not wanting anyone to go through all they have".

This project is an amazing example of how, giving people creative and innovative opportunities , space to process and use their voices, and encouragement to build confidence and belief in their abilities can lift them up and towards their aspirations . It demonstrates what is at the heart of The Branch - the desire to come alongside people and give them the tools and support to build the lives that they dream of for themselves.

For any more information about our work around domestic abuse, trauma and adverse childhood experiences, please contact Catherine Spring on catherine.spring@stmaryscnorton.com .

The Branch Strip Out

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:44:00 GMT

After 4 weeks work at The Branch the builders have finished the soft strip phase, revealing beams, fireplaces and other surprises. These images give a taste of the transformation and help us begin to glimpse just what potential this building has.

We're so excited as we sit on the brink of the build phase - just waiting for the final permissions and plans to fall into place. We will keep you updated through these newsletters, and do also look at our website http://thebranchtrust.org

Fundraising progress - The final push

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:43:00 GMT

We only have £200,000 to go to hit our target - please do get in touch if you would like to help make what started out as a dream an amazing reality and to create this space where we can reach out and help many more women like Helen. Write to campaign@thebranchtrust.org or contact Georgina Orchard directly on 07879 624854.

Thank you !

We've nearly reached our fundraising target!

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 13:39:00 GMT

As the New Year unfolds, we bring incredible news about progress towards creating The Branch, as we reach within 10% of our fundraising target, represented by the red can at the top of the stack above. Each of the 10 white cans equates to £310,000 donated to the building redevelopment.

Changing lives through music

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 13:28:00 GMT

We’re excited to be launching a music project at our Youth Club, with an initiative we can extend when we open The Branch Music Recording Studio .

We have found that music is a brilliant way of engaging with young people. Not only learning practical and technical skills, but also improving self confidence and esteem. We partner with a fantastic local charity called Community Albums t o deliver the 12 week course - some will learn DJ-ing skills, others rap or instrumental skills and others can discover the world of digital production.

We know that this work has impact - from increased engagement at school, raised aspirations, i ncreased self-esteem and motivation . Last time we ran the project one young person went on to set up a radio station and another went to college to study musical production.

We believe that empowering and encouraging young people through the process of making music can unlock potential and transform lives, and we are excited that this brings us one step closer to making the recording studio in The Branch a reality .

183 Christmas Hampers delivered

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 13:33:00 GMT

We want to express a massive and heartfelt thank you for the amazing generosity shown by so many of you for our Christmas hampers this year. Over an extraordinary month we saw referrals, from our networks, for Christmas hampers rise to 183 households , more than double last year's. Astonishingly this was matched by an extraordinary number of donations of brand new gifts and other goodies to fill the hampers.

As a result we were able to hand pick presents for each named individual, creating special tailored hampers to share a glimpse of joy, love and hope with 235 children, 198 adults and 55 elderly isolated in our community who otherwise may have had little to celebrate. These carefully chosen gifts were beautifully wrapped and labelled by willing volunteers, and delivered by cheery festive delivery drivers.

Some hampers included food, either a turkey or a specially prepared Christmas dinners created by Nick and Sally at Wild Thyme. When the first parcel was delivered the mum had forgotten what had been promised as the referral had been made by the Children's school back in November. She was so overwhelmed that she burst into tears and threw her ams around the delivery driver.

Perhaps the most unexpected response was from the elderly spending Christmas on their own. Many of them normally have nothing to open on Christmas morning and several have written to say how touched they were with the thoughtfulness of the gifts. One even rang to thank us on Christmas Eve - he had woken up and seen the gifts and thought it was Christmas morning. It was only when he turned on the TV he realised he was a day early!

Final push as builder appointed

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 13:21:00 GMT

In October we reported that our fundraising had reached over £2million and we had achieved planning permission. The New Year has brought with it even more amazing news. Our fundraising total has reached an astonishing £3.16million , just £300,000 short of the projected target for the redevelopment work necessary to create 16 Market place into a community hub that is fit for purpose! The dawn of a new era for the building pictured above in its early days as a bank.

The other great bit of news is that, following a comprehensive competitive tender in November and December we have appointed the building contractor who will carry out the work. The builder is due to begin initial preparatory work in the building in mid February with the full project beginning in April. After two and a half years of fundraising, much of which was monopolised by the Covid 19 pandemic, this is amazing news.

We are now ardently praying for the final £300,000 to materialise in time for the building work to properly get under way in April. Thank you all so much for the part you have played in bringing us to this point. We are excited about all that 2022 has in store and sharing this journey with you as we look ahead to 2023 when, as a result of your support, The Branch will finally open to serve the community.

Creating a home two days before Christmas

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:31:00 GMT

Can you imagine arriving to a flat you've never seen in a town you've never been to?

Regularly we are asked by housing or social services to support a family who arrive in Chipping Norton - often with an hours notice. These families have never been to Chippy before, let alone viewed their accommodation. They arrive with just the possessions they can carry or transport in a car.

Often mums arrive with children, and there is no bed for them to sleep on, no cooker, not even a kettle to make a hot drink. This is were our small store of furniture and household appliances is invaluable. Within a few hours of receiving the request, we can be there to welcome the family, not only with a meal, but with beds, bedding, rugs and curtains, a microwave, pots, pans and some toys for the children.

These flats are uncarpeted and look pretty dismal - yet often the family are just so grateful that they have a safe space they can call home… even when it is just a concrete shell.

This was the case on the 22nd December when we received a call letting us know a family was arriving. Fortunately we were able to divert volunteers from our hamper deliveries to take furniture, rugs, a washing machine, put up curtain poles and curtains and we even found a spare Christmas Tree with lights and decorations to put some presents under.

In Summer 2023, with the opening of The Branch, we will be able to further extend that welcome, allowing these families access to the services - from Domestic Abuse and Youth to Employment and Wellbeing - which will allow them to build new firm foundations to thrive as a family .

Unlocking potential. Bringing down barriers. Helping families, friends and neighbourhoods to flourish

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:33:00 GMT

This is the vision for The Branch - here, as the summer draws to a close, we bring news of holiday club days for those for whom holidays never happen, students disengaged with education learning new skills and exciting progress with planning and fundraising bringing this vision within grasp.

We owe a huge thank you to Charlie Brooks, author of the new and brilliant Holly Hopkinson's SuperSecret Diary series for using his book launch to promote The Branch Trust with a fete taken straight out of the book!

Holiday Clubs

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:31:00 GMT

Whilst many of us look forward to the summer holidays with thoughts of beaches, summer sun and fun with the family, for others school holidays can be long and difficult - empty days with little to do to keep the young out of trouble and no possibility of getting away. For these families our holiday clubs have been a life line this summer, providing a chance for the whole family to spend time together and have some fun, swimming, hiking, doing craft activities, cooking and more..

Over two weeks families were invited to attend 5 holiday club days in different locations, set up in partnership with local organisations including the Lido, FarmEd (the Farming and Food Education Centre near Shipton) and Chipping Norton Library. Each day was completely different but all were centred around a meal together, cooked by local restaurant Wild Thyme, helping fill the gap created when free school meals are no longer available.

Catherine, who works in the Nurture Room at the primary school supporting those children who've been affected by trauma, commented, " It's been especially precious to spend time with adults and siblings too - to get active and creative and laugh and chat with them all. In our work, we are passionate about coming alongside families as a whole - we know the value in looking at the big picture - and our holiday club activities have given us the perfect chance to hang out, build relationships and have fun togethe r."

Branch Out and Cook

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:30:00 GMT

We're celebrating the end of our 10 week pilot course of Branch Out and Cook , delivered in collaboration with Chipping Norton School and local restaurant Wild Thyme. Over the last few months 4 teenage boys who struggle to focus in lessons have been learning cookery skills and getting brilliant kitchen experience. It has been a real success for the students who have mastered skills such as making soup, preparing eggs in 5 different ways, cooking a lasagne and baking bread and cakes, with a 100% attendance. The boys celebrated their last session by making their favourite - homemade chicken nuggets!

Wild Thyme have been amazing - Nick is clearly a natural teacher and mentor as well as a superb chef - and the school, impressed by the boys' 100% attendance record, have already prepared another team of budding chefs for this term's course. Our plan at The Branch is that we will have a community kitchen with 12 cookery stations allowing us to scale up this work and engage with many more young people struggling with education who could really benefit from this experience and life skill..it may even open up a career path for them.

Planning & Fundraising Update

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 11:26:00 GMT

After over two years of planning and 18 months of fundraising The Branch Trust has been granted planning permission to make all the necessary changes to develop the former NatWest bank building into a thriving community hub that will serve our community for generations to come! After an extraordinary meeting of WODC Planning Committee on 9th August (including a site visit), the application was met with unanimous approval, pending minor tweaks to sight lines on the proposed rear extension.

This is a huge turning point opening the door to applications for capital grants from the likes of the Garfield Weston Foundation , a highly respected funder, who has pledged their support. This, and other generous gifts, brings our fundraising for the capital build costs of the project to over £2million , closer and closer to the £3.4million needed.

We are extremely grateful to all those who have chosen to join us on this journey and be part of our vision, and hopeful that, as momentum grows, more in our community will want to be part of it and help create this lasting legacy for the generations to come.

Sharing some Good News stories

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 11:00:00 GMT

After a very busy few months we are thrilled to bring you more news on our:

Our fundraising has reached £1.65 million following a fantastic gift of a £150,000, plus significant donations received at a local private sale in aid of The Branch, helping us get closer to our target of £3.4million for redeveloping The Branch.

And why the elephants ? All the food and other goods delivered over the last 13 months add up to 100 tonnes of goods, the weight of 16 adult African elephants - quite an impressive herd!

High Sheriff's award delivered to The Branch

We were delighted to receive a visit from our amazing High Sheriff of Oxfordshire , Amanda Ponsonby, at the end of the Easter holidays, to present Mary's Meals with an award 'in recognition of great and valuable services to the community.' It was a lovely surprise, marking 13 months of delivering weekly food parcels to those particularly badly affected by the pandemic.

It has been an extraordinary effort, providing over 42,000 meal s, plus other essential goods and well being packs, and it doesn't suddenly stop here. We continue to look out for the welfare of the 150+ families that we have been serving, aware that their circumstances will continue to fluctuate, particularly as the eviction ban ceases this month. A few families (40+ households) are still receiving meals in our reduced fortnightly delivery service and we recognise that the need for these is likely to increase again once the school holidays begin and access to free school meals stops.

Remix - Community Youth Group open once more

Remix, our community youth group, was set up over 5 years ago and has provided entertainment and a safe haven of community for hundreds of teenagers. It ran weekly until March last year, and joyfully began again last month! The following is an account from Ben Waddilove, a local musician and regular volunteer.

"It was wonderful to see so many pupils return for the first Remix session on Friday afternoon. Braving wind and stormy rain they came in droves, excited (and perhaps just relieved) to be there again for the first time in over 14 months. We played a boisterous and noisy game of football on the big pitch with all ages taking part.

Joel, (our youth worker) appeared and demonstrated his prowess in the sliding tackle, the ground shook… Others scaled the dizzy heights of the climbing wall, played badminton, table tennis, computer/video games or pool. Some were creative with arts and crafts and some just generally ‘hung out’ and ran around with their friends in the safe, friendly environment that is Remix.

Children are always hungry after school(!) and they were adequately provided for by our tip top catering team in the kitchen with a table of free food and assortments of toast, hot chocolate and confectionary available. We also re-formed the Remix band – jamming away on guitars and cajon, singing the blues to anyone that was listening!

We are so thankful that we can continue to reach out to the young people in this way once more."

Wellbeing Support and more

As the need for practical support, here in Chipping Norton, has grown over the pandemic, so too have we seen an increased need in terms of mental and emotional health and wellbeing. As well as anxiety, worry and stress, many in our community have been struggling with isolation and loneliness.

Working with the amazing charity Kintsugi Hope, we launched our first Kintsugi Hope wellbeing course last Autumn, as part of our overall response to this growing need. Kintsugi, meaning 'golden joinery', is a Japanese technique for repairing pottery with seams of gold. This repairs the brokenness in a way that makes the object more beautiful and even more unique than it was prior to being broken – instead of hiding the scars, it makes a feature of them. The groups are for anyone who is feeling, or has felt, overwhelmed and provide a safe and supportive environment for people to flourish and invest in their mental health and wellbeing.

We were delighted that our wellbeing support (which has included weekly wellbeing packs, 1:1 mentoring for both adults and youth, a phone web and a Mongolian Yurt –- see February 2021 newslettter) has lead us to be chosen as a 'Hero Church' as part of the national 'Give Hope' campaign which celebrates churches committed to giving hope and responding to the needs of our communities at this time. A great privilege!

Planning Application Update

The formal planning application to redevelop The Branch, transforming this semi-derelict building into a thriving community hub fit to serve the town and surrounding communities, has been submitted to West Oxfordshire District Council and is now available for consultation on the planning portal. We would love to encourage all our supporters to log onto the site and ' Make a Comment' in support of our plans.

If you would like to do this simply follow this link https://publicaccess.westoxon.gov.uk/online-applications/ and search for the application, number 21/00986/LBC.

In your comment we would love to encourage you to state how needed this facility is, using some of the pointers below:

Thank you so much for your continued support at this critical time! Please help us to make these plans a reality and keep on track with our vision to open this important and essential facility, fit for purpose, in 2023.

Telephone: 07879 624854
Email: campaign@thebranchtrust.org

If you would like to support or get involved in any of our work please do get in touch with Georgina Orchard using the contact details above.

Building The Branch

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 12:34:00 GMT

Amongst all this activity we continue to focus on the redevelopment of The Branch building, transforming this derelict space into a throbbing focus of community engagement and support. Bringing all our areas of community outreach together under one roof, alongside other local voluntary and Statutory services, to serve the increasing needs of our growing town and aid the huge recovery process that will be needed after this pandemic is over, so that families can get back on their feet and begin to thrive.

Our planning application is due to be submitted in the next couple of weeks so we should be in a position to update you on that and more in the next newsletter in late Spring. In the meantime a huge thank you for all your support!!

A Mongolian sanctuary

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 12:32:00 GMT

Referrals to the NSPCC have increased by 80% during the pandemic. 40% of 'serious abuse notifications' (involving very serious harm and death of children) between April and October last year involved children under the age of one. A report by the NSPCC identified stresses affecting families, including financial insecurity, juggling demands of children, work and caring for family, and highlighted the huge positive impact social support and social connections can have on a family.

For many of the families we work with attendance at our regular support groups - CAP Life skills for those on a low income, DA courses, Kintsugi Hope for those coping with significant emotional challenges, Remix youth club, Mums and toddlers groups - provide a vital life line. Whilst some of these have managed to move online, others have found it difficult due to homeschooling commitments. Keeping up regular connections with some of these families during Lockdown has therefore presented a challenge.... until we found the yurt! ! With a wood burning stove at its centre, a carpeted floor and ventilated sides this is proving to be a fantastic and exciting place to provide respite for individual families and time out for their children. Chatting with a key worker as we cook sausages, make hot chocolate, and entertain children with craft activities, provides parents with a rare chance to relax on bean bags and release some of the tensions from the weeks of isolation and homeschooling.

Online face to face gatherings continue to provide that vital source of connection for many. Our carers and toddlers group regularly meets online providing activities, encouragement and connection for families with young children. Online 'craft alongs' are also proving extremely popular with the Life Skills clients, with a focus on self-care. In January 20 ladies joined together to make Spring flower posies, using materials delivered to them in a craft bag alongside their weekly food delivery. One member wrote, " Thank you for organising the event and providing all the beautiful flowers and treats. It makes me feel very special ."

BRANCH NEWS

Co-working space to let!

Book your space now.

Christmas Hampers

Transforming lives

A BIG thank you!

Fundraising target exceeeded!

The Branch unveiled

No more hoardings!

Cocklebarrow Races

Sunday 21st January

The St. Kenelm's Concert

International Classical Trio

The Big Give

Your donation will be doubled

Almost There!

Three quarters of the way to completion

Christmas at The Branch

So grateful

Own My Life

A New Course

Join us on this Journey

As we look ahead

Lived Experiences Initiative

A vital inspiration for all we do.

Therapeutic Horticulture

Nurture Garden

Engaging Young People

We love creating opportunities for young people to get involved in our work.

Passed the halfway point

A significant milestone

Hoardings

Branch out and build

Corporate Sponsorship

Change lives and livelihoods livelihoods

Corporate Sponsorship

The Branch Redevelopment

A rise in demand on our services

Your support is bringing about transformation

Supporting Ukraine

The Phoenix Project: using story and voice to empower and inspire

The Branch Strip Out

Fundraising progress - The final push

We've nearly reached our fundraising target!

Changing lives through music

183 Christmas Hampers delivered

Final push as builder appointed

Creating a home two days before Christmas

Unlocking potential. Bringing down barriers. Helping families, friends and neighbourhoods to flourish

Holiday Clubs

Branch Out and Cook

Planning & Fundraising Update

Sharing some Good News stories

High Sheriff's award delivered to The Branch

Remix - Community Youth Group open once more

Wellbeing Support and more

Planning Application Update

Building The Branch

A Mongolian sanctuary

Change lives and livelihoods
livelihoods