OPFA AGM 2025
This is to invite you/your organisation to attend the OPFA Annual General Meeting on Monday 20 October 2025 at 7.00 p.m. in the Small Hall, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB
Agenda is as follows:
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of previous AGM and Matters Arising
3. Annual Report 2024/25—copy on News page of the OPFA website
4. Annual Accounts 2024/25—copy included in the Annual Report
5. Election of President
5. Election of Honorary Officers for 2025/26
6. Election of Executive Committee/Trustees for 2025/26
7. Appointment of Independent Examiner for 2025/26
8. Any Other Business/Members’ Reports and General Discussion
An invitation including a reply form can be viewed on the Recent News page of our website (www.opfa.org.uk) and can be downloaded here
The Agenda can be downloaded here and the minutes of the 2024 AGM can be downloaded here.
The Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/25 (also on the News page) can be downloaded here.
We hope that the meeting will provide a useful opportunity for Members to come along and remind themselves of the help available from the Association through our Community Development Officer, Andrew Parsons.
If you have a question to ask or an issue to raise for discussion with other Members, this should be a good opportunity.
Please put this date in your diary and it would be good to see you or other representatives of your organisation on 20 October. It would be helpful if you could let us know if you are coming – see the AGM invite.
Many thanks,
Meryl Smith
Hon. Manager/Trustee, OPFA
The RDC foundation
A new grant scheme has just become available from The RDC foundation.
RDC Foundation is a UK charity that provides grants of up to £1,000 to help get young people into the outdoors. They provide grants for equipment and also grants to individual young people to undertake adventurous activities.
If you think they could be of assistance now or in the future, please take a look at www.rdc.foundation in regard to what they will fund and how to apply.
Come and join our friendly OPFA Executive Committee:
It can be amusing amid the business!
OPFA is looking for some more community-minded people who would be interested in helping to take our organisation forward into a changing but rewarding future. Could it be you or someone you know?
The Committee, whose volunteer members are the managing trustees of the charity, currently meets on a weekday up to 4 times a year. The Committee’s role is to make sure that the OPFA is managed effectively and is as financially secure as is possible in these challenging times, so that we can continue to provide our information and advice services to community groups around the county.
Between them the Committee’s existing members already bring a range of useful and relevant interests, skills and experience, so we don’t need to recruit anyone who is an expert on every aspect of organisation management, playing space provision or operating as a community-focussed organisation alongside other partners in Oxfordshire. An interest in what OPFA does and in sharing thoughts and ideas, and just some relevant experience, is all we ask. There is plenty of mutual support and sources of expert information and advice both nationally and locally that the Committee can call on. What we need is some enthusiasm and a willingness to give , free of charge, just a bit of time back to OPFA.
If you would like to see if this is an opportunity that would suit you, please call the OPFA office on 01295 817662 or email Meryl Smith, the Hon. Manager, on [email protected]. If you think you know someone else who might be interested, please give them these contact details.
Project Management and other new OPFA services
We are working hard to diversify the services that we offer in response to the need that we have recognised in our county. We understand that changing times and pressure from housing developments mean that parish councils and recreation space managers are now facing a new set of challenges. These include ensuring that facilities are adequate for an expanding population and therefore making the most of developer contributions. OPFA can help you to navigate this minefield and put a robust case in place for the facilities that you need. We can also act as the project manager on playground installations and other facility improvement projects.
For full details of the new services we offer, please download our consultancy leaflet
This is to invite you/your organisation to attend the OPFA Annual General Meeting on Monday 20 October 2025 at 7.00 p.m. in the Small Hall, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB
Agenda is as follows:
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of previous AGM and Matters Arising
3. Annual Report 2024/25—copy on News page of the OPFA website
4. Annual Accounts 2024/25—copy included in the Annual Report
5. Election of President
5. Election of Honorary Officers for 2025/26
6. Election of Executive Committee/Trustees for 2025/26
7. Appointment of Independent Examiner for 2025/26
8. Any Other Business/Members’ Reports and General Discussion
An invitation including a reply form can be viewed on the Recent News page of our website (www.opfa.org.uk) and can be downloaded here
The Agenda can be downloaded here and the minutes of the 2024 AGM can be downloaded here.
The Annual Report and Accounts for 2024/25 (also on the News page) can be downloaded here.
We hope that the meeting will provide a useful opportunity for Members to come along and remind themselves of the help available from the Association through our Community Development Officer, Andrew Parsons.
If you have a question to ask or an issue to raise for discussion with other Members, this should be a good opportunity.
Please put this date in your diary and it would be good to see you or other representatives of your organisation on 20 October. It would be helpful if you could let us know if you are coming – see the AGM invite.
Many thanks,
Meryl Smith
Hon. Manager/Trustee, OPFA
The RDC foundation
A new grant scheme has just become available from The RDC foundation.
RDC Foundation is a UK charity that provides grants of up to £1,000 to help get young people into the outdoors. They provide grants for equipment and also grants to individual young people to undertake adventurous activities.
If you think they could be of assistance now or in the future, please take a look at www.rdc.foundation in regard to what they will fund and how to apply.
Come and join our friendly OPFA Executive Committee:
It can be amusing amid the business!
OPFA is looking for some more community-minded people who would be interested in helping to take our organisation forward into a changing but rewarding future. Could it be you or someone you know?
The Committee, whose volunteer members are the managing trustees of the charity, currently meets on a weekday up to 4 times a year. The Committee’s role is to make sure that the OPFA is managed effectively and is as financially secure as is possible in these challenging times, so that we can continue to provide our information and advice services to community groups around the county.
Between them the Committee’s existing members already bring a range of useful and relevant interests, skills and experience, so we don’t need to recruit anyone who is an expert on every aspect of organisation management, playing space provision or operating as a community-focussed organisation alongside other partners in Oxfordshire. An interest in what OPFA does and in sharing thoughts and ideas, and just some relevant experience, is all we ask. There is plenty of mutual support and sources of expert information and advice both nationally and locally that the Committee can call on. What we need is some enthusiasm and a willingness to give , free of charge, just a bit of time back to OPFA.
If you would like to see if this is an opportunity that would suit you, please call the OPFA office on 01295 817662 or email Meryl Smith, the Hon. Manager, on [email protected]. If you think you know someone else who might be interested, please give them these contact details.
Project Management and other new OPFA services
We are working hard to diversify the services that we offer in response to the need that we have recognised in our county. We understand that changing times and pressure from housing developments mean that parish councils and recreation space managers are now facing a new set of challenges. These include ensuring that facilities are adequate for an expanding population and therefore making the most of developer contributions. OPFA can help you to navigate this minefield and put a robust case in place for the facilities that you need. We can also act as the project manager on playground installations and other facility improvement projects.
For full details of the new services we offer, please download our consultancy leaflet
