Oxfordshire Community Foundation – The Pump House Project

At RWK Goodman, our commitment to supporting the communities we serve remains a priority. One way we demonstrate this is through our long-standing relationship with Oxfordshire Community Foundation.

Since our partnership began in 2005, we have witnessed first-hand the invaluable work the foundation has done across Oxfordshire. Most recently, we were proud to support The Pump House Project, an initiative that provides a range of low-cost activities for people of all ages and abilities in Faringdon and the surrounding villages. The charity focuses on tackling social isolation and loneliness, improving physical health, and alleviating food poverty.

Twelve years ago, The Pump House Project transformed a derelict building into a thriving community hub. Initially established as a safe space for young people, it began with parkour, dance, and music classes. Over time, it has evolved in response to the community’s needs, becoming a flexible, volunteer-driven charity offering a wide range of support services.

Some of the services the charity offers include:

• Community Owned Guidance Service (COGS) – a free, one-to-one counselling service for young people aged 12 to 25. COGS collaborates with numerous counsellors, schools, and GP surgeries to reach as many young people as possible.
• The Hearth – a food-sharing initiative that includes a community fridge, pantry, and furniture exchange, allowing people to take what they need.
• Cake Café – held every Tuesday, this welcoming space encourages people to drop by, enjoy a slice of cake, and connect with others in the community.
• Winter Warmer Project – running from November to February, this initiative provides a warm space from 9:30am to 3:00pm, where people can enjoy a hot meal while reducing their home heating costs.

Our grant fund, through Oxfordshire Community Foundation, helped cover the increased running costs due to rising attendance at their projects. The additional funding enabled The Pump House Project to hire extra staff, ensuring they could maintain the quality of their services while continuing to support the community.

By helping to cover core costs, we have contributed to keeping their doors open—reducing isolation and loneliness while addressing the mental and physical wellbeing of the local community. This grant has allowed The Pump House Project to continue improving the quality of life for people in Faringdon and the surrounding villages, despite current economic challenges.

“Grants for core costs are very difficult to come by. This grant helps me breathe at night because, at the beginning, we didn’t have any money.”

Our partnership with the Oxfordshire Community Foundation extends beyond this project and reflects our firm’s values and commitments to supporting our local communities. At RWK Goodman, we are dedicated to fostering positive change and making a tangible difference to the communities we work in, by continuously working with organisations like Oxfordshire Community Foundations, we can continue to demonstrate the positive impact we are making.