Through our £30,000 Community Fund, we supported 15 projects to strengthen communities and improve your opportunities.

This includes family support services, free play days for children, youth leadership and skills programmes, financial education, sports clubs, guiding groups, parent and toddler activities, and a youth worker role. Grants also helped improve community facilities through energy-efficiency upgrades, supported families through a school uniform scheme and baby bank vouchers, and contributed to community events such as the Phoenix Festival in Cirencester.

Pictured left, Jodie manager of Leafield Pre-school - which received almost £1,400 towards a new secure gate to improve security for children, carers, staff and visitors.

Thanks to those of you who voted on our Cottsway Communities Facebook group to help decide how much each project should receive!

For more on our fund: cottsway.co.uk/fund

We met some of you at summer Play Days and supported young people through leadership and work experience opportunities with partners including Travis Perkins Managed Services, Oxfordshire Youth, and a local law firm.

We continued our support for local advice services by providing free office space in Witney for Citizens Advice Oxfordshire and funding a debt and welfare advice service open to all customers.

We also host Witney and West Oxfordshire Foodbank in our offices and help customers in need by referring them to the Foodbank service.

There's lots of information about support available on our website or give us a call.