Oxfam GB will move its headquarters as part of plans to relocate to smaller offices next month in a drive to reduce expenditure.
The charity has been leasing 88,000 square feet of office space at its Oxfam House HQ since 2005 but plans to move to a smaller site nearby in July.
It will downsize and move to a 25,000 square feet office space within the ground floor of the former energy company Centrica’s office at Oxford Business Park, which is one block from Oxfam House.
The relocation announcement came after the charity recorded a £28.4m net deficit last financial year, its recent plans for redundancy and outsourcing its staff and a hiring freeze on non-business-critical roles since July 2024.
Protests were held yesterday at Oxfam’s offices against some of its proposed changes to staffing.
The charity’s planned move also follows the relocation of Oxfam International’s HQ to Nairobi in Kenya in 2017, as part of plans to “devolve power” to the southern hemisphere.
Cost savings expected
Oxfam has been leasing its current office space since moving in from another Oxford site in 2005, and it will continue to lease the new workspace.
The charity said the move to a smaller site in July would help it to reduce costs, but would not disclose how much it expects to save.
According to its accounts, Oxfam’s payments for non-cancellable operating leases on its land and buildings have varied in recent years.
In its latest accounts for the financial year ending March 2024, it was projected to pay £30.1m in future minimum lease payments.
This compares to £27.5m in 2022-23, £55.3m in 2021-22 and £31.3m in 2020-21.
Oxfam House was owned by Sutton council but reportedly sold to a private investor for £37.1m in April 2024.
GreyArc Investments Limited have reportedly applied to Oxford City Council for planning permission to turn the building into a life science or office facility.
Editor's note: The headline for this article was changed at 3pm on 4 June.
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