Oxford & Swindon Area Meeting (and Beyond)

For most Quakers, the local meeting is their worshipping community. Local meetings are grouped into area meetings; we are part of Oxford & Swindon Area Meeting (OSAM).

About area meetings

The role of the area meeting is to develop and maintain a geographical community of Friends. Area meetings work in slightly different ways from place to place, according to their needs and resources. General responsibilities include:

  • overseeing and supporting local meetings, ensuring each has access to opportunities for fellowship, spiritual development, and spiritual and pastoral care
  • appointing people to positions of responsibility
  • conducting Quaker marriages, recording deaths, employing staff, owning property and managing finances
  • providing the Safeguarding Policy and Procedures for the area, and supporting its implementation by local meetings
  • appointing a Children and Young People’s Work Advocate, who helps meetings to develop their work with children and young people, and to include them in the life of the meeting.

All area meetings are charities as well as worshipping communities.

About OSAM

OSAM comprises the following local meetings:

Witney Local Meeting was laid down in early 2021; Friends now worship at other Meetings, including Charlbury.

OSAM normally meets on alternate (odd-numbered) months on the Saturday following the first Sunday of the month. Member meetings take it in turns to act as host. The morning is taken up with area business, and the afternoon is for spiritual nurture: for example, an invited talk or activity session.

Contact details for OSAM

Local meetings beyond OSAM

Here is a list of local meetings within 30 miles of Abingdon that belong to other area meetings:

To find a meeting further afield, visit Find a Quaker meeting on the Quakers in Britain website.

Further information about Quaker organisation

Parts of the text on this page have been adapted from these sources.