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OXFORD DEMOCRACY CAFE
  • Home
  • About
  • Meetings
    • Next Meeting
    • ODC 1 July 18
    • ODC 2 Sept 18
    • ODC 3 Nov 18
    • ODC 4 Jan 19
    • ODC 5 Mar 19
    • ODC 6 May 19
    • ODC 7 July 19
    • ODC 8 Sep 19
    • ODC 9 Nov 19
    • ODC 10 Jan 20
    • ODC 11 Mar 20
    • ODC 12 May 20
    • ODC 13 July 20
    • ODC 14 Sept 20
    • ODC 15 Nov 20
  • What's going on locally?
    • Greening Jericho
    • Green Tea
    • The Oxford Influence Group
  • Manifesto for Local Democracy
    • Blackbird Leys
    • Carfax
    • Cowley
    • Jericho and Osney
    • Marston
    • Rose Hill and Iffley
    • St Clements
    • St Marys
    • Wolvercote
  • Citizens' Assemblies OxCAN
    • OxCAN Flyer
    • OxCAN Summary of Learning from Oxford Citizens' Assembly
    • OxCAN FAQ
    • OxCAN Purpose Statement
  • Contact
  • Links/Resources
The Oxford Influence Group (OIG)
is a small group of people each of whom originally came to Citizens Advice for support.  A coordinator of the ‘Stronger Together Partnership’ at Citizens Advice wanted to recruit people who could come together to use the power of their own experience to achieve change.  She invited individuals who had self-identified as being concerned about their community to come together to participate in a collaborative dialogue with the people in charge of support services in Oxford (especially housing, benefits, employment and mental health).  The aim of the OIG is to ensure that the voices of service users are heard in policy design and to empower those voices.  Each group member has her/his own story to share.  They have produced a newsletter and have their own website.
www.oxfordinfluencegroup.uk (also at www.citizensadviceoxford.org.uk) 
The group has:
  • Addressed meetings on poverty
  • Addressed the City Council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee
  • Attended the County Council’s ‘co-production festival’
  • Contributed to the ‘Age-Well Campaign’
  • Spoken on BBC Oxford about Universal Credit
  • Attended national meetings of organisations that work in co-productive ways
  • Helped to re-design the reception area at Citizens Advice
  • Met with others wanting to set up similar groups in other parts of the country
Their endeavours have been evaluated by MFL Research.
They are currently attending training on ‘campaigning’ run by the Children’s Society and are also earning about how to use local data.
 
It is work very much outside of the comfort zone and experience of the individuals in the group.  Careful facilitation and mutual ecouragement have been essential. There has to be a strong ethos of friendship and mutual support which underpins and strengthens the group’s activism.
If policy makers are really to make a positive difference to our communities then listening to the voices of those most affected by policies is crucial.  Working together to empower the voices of those struggling most and listening to them should be what we should all be striving for.
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  • Home
  • About
  • Meetings
    • Next Meeting
    • ODC 1 July 18
    • ODC 2 Sept 18
    • ODC 3 Nov 18
    • ODC 4 Jan 19
    • ODC 5 Mar 19
    • ODC 6 May 19
    • ODC 7 July 19
    • ODC 8 Sep 19
    • ODC 9 Nov 19
    • ODC 10 Jan 20
    • ODC 11 Mar 20
    • ODC 12 May 20
    • ODC 13 July 20
    • ODC 14 Sept 20
    • ODC 15 Nov 20
  • What's going on locally?
    • Greening Jericho
    • Green Tea
    • The Oxford Influence Group
  • Manifesto for Local Democracy
    • Blackbird Leys
    • Carfax
    • Cowley
    • Jericho and Osney
    • Marston
    • Rose Hill and Iffley
    • St Clements
    • St Marys
    • Wolvercote
  • Citizens' Assemblies OxCAN
    • OxCAN Flyer
    • OxCAN Summary of Learning from Oxford Citizens' Assembly
    • OxCAN FAQ
    • OxCAN Purpose Statement
  • Contact
  • Links/Resources