Oxford Mutual Aid

What Oxford Mutual Aid does

Oxford Mutual Aid is a registered UK charity (CIO 1213202) that sources, packs, and delivers free food parcels, toiletries, and baby essentials to households in Oxford experiencing food insecurity. Founded in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and originally incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in August 2020 before converting to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in May 2025, the organisation operates from a central warehouse hub and runs a six-day-a-week delivery service with no means-testing required. It is the only emergency food provider in Oxford operating six days a week and the only local offer including baby essentials, with same-day or next-day delivery. Service scale has grown to 1,000+ people per month across 400+ households, with regular weekly support to 190+ households and 750+ individuals, and a cumulative reach of nearly 2,500 unique households.

The operating model is hybrid: a core paid team of 6 staff funded by institutional grants, augmented by 30+ active community members and a wider volunteer base of 150+ individuals. Logistics are volunteer-driven, with 18 tons of surplus food redistributed per month and 400,000+ meals delivered annually. Recipients are not formally vetted; access is self-referred or referred through community partners, and the organisation positions itself as a trusted bridge to wider statutory services.

Funding comes from a mix of individual donations, community fundraising, and institutional grants including the National Lottery Awards for All (£20,000), Oxford City Council, and University of Oxford colleges. In June 2025 the organisation reopened a Solidarity Fund — a cash-first support product for households in immediate crisis — extending its surface beyond physical food parcels. The organisation is a member of the OX4 Food Crew coalition and serves as a core node in Oxford's informal food-insecurity response network.

Name

Oxford Mutual Aid

Legal name

Oxford Mutual Aid

Website

https://oxfordmutualaid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oxford Mutual Aid is a registered UK charity that sources, packs, and delivers free food parcels and essential supplies to Oxford households experiencing food insecurity, serving 1,000+ people monthly across 400+ households through a volunteer-led, no-means-testing model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Food Assistance

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Community Food Services (62421), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Food Security & Nutrition in Humanitarian Crises (BPADAJAI), Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

Keywords

• Food parcel delivery
• Community mutual aid
• Food redistribution
• Emergency food assistance
• Charitable food support

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off or recurring donations from individuals. Monthly donors form the backbone of funding. Donations can be made via website, standing order/bank transfer, or Open Collective.
2. Corporate and Institutional Grants: Funding from trusts, foundations, local government, and corporate partners. Major donors include The National Lottery, Oxford City Council, various colleges (Balliol, Magdalen, Christ Church, Jesus, etc.), and corporate partners like GKN automotive, Co-op Local Community Fund.
3. Community Fundraising: Student societies, schools, and community groups organize fundraising events. Includes events at festivals, school talks with quid and can fundraisers, and student society activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Oxford Mutual Aid sources, packs, and delivers regular weekly and emergency food parcels containing food, toiletries, and baby supplies to households across Oxford city. Service is free, requires no means-testing or referral, operates 6 days per week for emergencies, and personalises parcels for dietary requirements including halal.

Product overview

Oxford Mutual Aid is a registered charity (CIO 1213202) providing grassroots food support and emergency assistance to households across Oxford. The organization operates a unified service model centered on food parcel distribution (both regular weekly and emergency deliveries), supplemented by baby products, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. Core service delivery is supported by volunteer programs spanning in-person roles (drivers, bikers, hall volunteers) and remote positions (admin, fundraising, case management, phones team). A pilot Solidarity Fund provides cash grants. The organization is a member of the OX4 Food Crew alliance. Founded in 2020 in response to COVID-19, OMA now has 6 paid staff and over 30 members, funded by community donations and grants with full financial transparency through Open Collective.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Food Parcels Emergency food parcel delivery service available 10am-3pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Parcels contain balanced supplies of pasta/rice, bread, tinned goods, fruit/veg, protein, chilled/frozen items, toiletries, cleaning products, pet food, and baby supplies, covering a household's food needs for 3-4 days. Available to anyone in Oxford without means-testing or referral.
• Regular Food Parcels Weekly food parcel delivery to over 190 households comprising more than 750 people across Oxford. Personalised hand-packed parcels catering to dietary requirements including halal, with treats and desserts included.
• Solidarity Fund Cash-first support pilot providing £40 grants to help people with basic living expenses such as bills and rent. Non-means tested but requires OMA parcel receipt in the past year.
• Baby Products and Toiletries Supplementary supplies including baby products, toiletries, and cleaning products included in food parcels. Baby care essentials are a unique offering among Oxford emergency food support providers.
• Volunteer Programs Structured volunteer roles including in-person positions (volunteer drivers, bikers, and hall packers) and remote roles (logistics, admin, graphic design, fundraising, case management, social media, and phones team). Open to community members wanting to support food aid delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ people helped monthly with food parcels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OX4 Food CrewcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOX4 Food Crew is an alliance of 9 grassroots organisations working towards a shared aim: that everyone in OX4 has enough food, is well nourished and can thrive. Together, they coordinate logistics, support one another and arrange joint campaigns to fight against food poverty in Oxford. OMA is a proud member of this alliance.
• The PorchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing drop-in collection point for OMA food parcels at 139 Magdalen Rd, OX4 1RL. Open Monday-Friday 11pm-3pm.
• Waste2TasteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing ready meals. OMA refers households previously supported through Kitchen Collective scheme to Waste2Taste for meal support.
• The Social Change AgencyminorOthersActs as fiscal host on Open Collective providing transparent platform to track expenses. OMA moved away from this platform in 2024 due to additional fees.
• Unity BankminorOthersOMA's bank account provider through which they accept large donations by bank transfer.
• Plush NightclubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partnership where a small donation from Fixr sales for their Tuesgays/Skittles student night goes to OMA. Also arranged £500 wholesale purchase of stock for OMA.
• Country Food TrustminorOthersProvided 1000 meals donation for distribution through OMA.
• Citizens AdviceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided training to OMA staff. OMA is now signed up to refer to the Children In Need household support fund.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Felix Project: London-based food redistribution charity that rescues surplus food and delivers to charities and schools. Highly comparable operational model to OMA's surplus-redistribution logistics, but London-focused.
• City Harvest London: London food rescue charity redistributing surplus food to community organizations. Comparable to OMA in its model of sourcing surplus food and delivering to those in need, but operating in London.
• SOFEA (South Oxfordshire Food and Education Alliance): Local Oxfordshire food redistribution charity redistributing surplus food and providing meals. Directly comparable regional peer in the same county, but with broader education/training services.

Broad incumbents

• FareShare: National UK food redistribution charity working with 8,500+ charities to redirect surplus food. OMA is a downstream recipient of FareShare's surplus pipeline; comparable in mission to fight food waste and hunger.
• The Trussell Trust: UK's largest food bank network operating a federation of 1,400+ food banks. Comparable to OMA as an emergency food parcel provider, but much larger, traditional referral-based model, and means-tested.

Direct peers

• Oxford Food Bank: Oxford-based food bank providing emergency food parcels via referral agencies. Most direct local food-aid peer, distinguishable mainly by its referral-based (vs. OMA's no-means-test) model.
• Waste2Taste: UK social enterprise turning surplus food into ready meals for charitable distribution. Already an OMA partner under Waste2Taste/Kitchen Collective scheme; comparable surplus-food-to-meals model.
• Stripey Stork: Surrey-based charity providing baby equipment, clothes and essentials to families in need. Comparable niche focus on baby supplies as part of poverty relief, similar volunteer-driven model.
• FoodCycle: UK charity combining surplus food with volunteers to serve community meals to people facing food poverty. Closely comparable community-led, volunteer-driven model with a focus on dignity and inclusion.

Others

• Citizens Advice Oxfordshire: Local advice and welfare support provider part of the national Citizens Advice network. Comparable in addressing poverty and welfare needs, and an OMA partner providing training and referral pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oxford-mutual-aid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oxford Mutual Aid