Events

Putting on your own event is an excellent way to make friends and do something really worthwhile. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – remember the key word is FUN! With good organisation fantastic fundraising events are easier to do than you think. In the past OAB has benefited from people organising raffles, bric-a-brac stalls, tombolas and auctions. What could you do? Well, what do you enjoy doing! Once you have thought about that you’re on the way to running your own event.

OAB also has 6 places in the British 10K London Run available for 2007 so you can get fit and run past the greatest landmarks in the capital.

Street Collections

We have regular street collections throughout Oxfordshire including a big one once a year at Oxford town centre. If you would like to spend a couple of hours helping out drop me a line. We are also looking for people to run street collections – if you have bags of energy and enjoy meeting people please get in touch to discuss the opportunity. You may be working with Visually Impaired People so some knowledge of the challenges faced by VIP's would be desirable.

Fundraising Gigs

OAB has put on several fundraising gigs in the past and we are looking to link up with more local artists and bands in the future. European A Cappella champions Out of the Blue (OOTB) annually perform at Oxford town Hall to raise money for OAB. Successful local band - The G’s - are long-time supporters of OAB and have performed at many events.

Static Boxes

You may have seen an OAB static box before as they are placed at various outlets around the county.

We have a static box scheme in place in central Oxford but we are still on the lookout for volunteers to manage several other areas.

This voluntary position would suit someone who has recently retired, and knows the area they would be managing.

The following places need to be serviced, so if you know anyone who might fit the bill, you know what to do!

Bicester, Bloxham, Carterton, Chipping Norton, Deddington,

Didcot, Littleworth, Wallingford, Wantage and Grove.

Corporate Donations

As a local organization OAB is always on the lookout to forge successful links with companies in the Oxfordshire area and further afield. Traditionally OAB has enjoyed productive links with commercial partners to help visually impaired people of all ages in the community. Our vision is to expand these links, to help us to reach more people who need our services. Perhaps you are on the charity committee of your company, or you work for a small firm and are looking for a local cause to support where you can see your gifts making a real difference to local people. There are many ways corporate donations can help. If you work for a company (or know someone who does) who are looking for charities to support, contact Andy Morley for more information on what we do and how we can work together for the community.

Legacies

If you, or a member of your family has been helped by OAB, one way to say ‘thank you’ is by leaving a gift in your will. It will help ensure that others receive support from OAB for years to come. Legacies are a vital part of the funds we need to keep helping blind people.

Fairs

OAB has been represented at St Giles Fair in Oxford for many years now, and several fairs around the county. We use these opportunities not just to generate much-needed income but also to spread the word of our services to those who may be unaware of what we offer.

Mobile Phones

If you have any old and unwanted mobile phones lying around the house doing nothing in particular, don’t let them go to waste, please pass them on to us! We can get £4 for every mobile phone we collect. At the rate handsets are being updated and become outdated, most of us know someone who has an old phone knocking about even if we don’t have any ourselves! Please send any old phones to us at Bradbury Lodge, Gordon Woodward Way, in Oxford. Watch this space, as hopefully we will soon have a separate dedicated location where people can deposit their old mobiles. For further information call us on 01865 725595