Contributing to the Oxfordshire Doughnut: Helen’s Role Through the Oxfordshire Doughnut Economics Collective

As part of the Oxfordshire Doughnut Economics Collective (ODEC), Helen contributed to the development of the Oxfordshire Doughnut, a piece of work commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council to explore what a thriving, fair, and environmentally responsible future could look like for the county.

The commission focused on applying the Doughnut Economics framework to Oxfordshire and supporting more connected, holistic decision-making across the Council.

About the Commission

Oxfordshire County Council invited ODEC to develop an Oxfordshire Doughnut model and support the creation of tools and processes around it. This work included:

  • developing a locally grounded Oxfordshire Doughnut

  • creating a supporting Impact Assessment Tool

  • running workshops with local groups, organisations, and internal Council teams

  • producing a report outlining insights, thresholds, and opportunities for the county

The collective brought together practitioners from economics, facilitation, community engagement, research, and environmental fields.

Helen’s Contribution

Helen supported the collective through mindset-shift work, research to inform the Oxfordshire Doughnut, facilitation across the workshops, and contributing to the development of the Impact Assessment Tool.

Workshops and Cross-Sector Conversations

The process included one large workshop bringing together:

  • local environmental groups

  • community organisations

  • other Oxfordshire-based businesses

  • and Kate Raworth, whose inspiring talk helped inform the framing of the Doughnut model for Oxfordshire

In addition, a series of internal workshops were held with Oxfordshire County Council staff to explore how the Doughnut framework and the Impact Assessment Tool could support more joined-up decision-making across different areas of the organisation.

Together, these sessions brought together:

  • quantitative evidence

  • lived experience

  • local ecological priorities

  • organisational insight

This collective understanding shaped both the Oxfordshire Doughnut model and the accompanying Impact Assessment Tool.

Why We’re Sharing This

Although this commission sits outside our day-to-day design work, it reflects the wider scope of what we offer as a studio. Our work extends beyond interiors into exploring the systems, cultures, and conditions that shape how places evolve.

Engaging with county-level conversations deepens our understanding of Oxfordshire’s social and ecological context and strengthens the thinking we bring to our consultancy and workshop work. It informs how we support clients — whether organisations, councils, or community groups — to approach challenges with a more connected, whole-systems perspective.

Helen’s involvement with ODEC is one example of how we contribute to the wider landscape of the county we call home, and how we continue developing the skills and approaches that help people, places, and communities move toward a flourishing future. You can read the report on DEAL’s website here. https://doughnuteconomics.org/stories/an-oxfordshire-preliminary-data-portrait-of-place