Oxfam has historically managed its activities in different parts of the UK and Ireland using an 'Area' structure. The types of activities which came under this structure would typically be Oxfam shops, plus staff members based in the UK and Ireland outside of Oxford, guiding supporter groups engaged in campaigning and fundraising.

By 1976, the structure divided the UK and Ireland into eight Areas, with each Area containing multiple Regions, each with its own regional office. Each Region would typically have had a Regional Organiser, with some regions also having an Assistant to the Regional Organiser, a Youth Organiser and/or a member of Education or Schools Liaison staff. An Area Director would oversee each Area.

By 1987, the Region/Area structure had become inverted, with a structure of overarching Regions containing numbered Areas. Each Area would have had one or more offices within it. Staff based in the Areas at this time included Area Organisers (AOs), Area Administrators (AAs), Area Campaigns Organisers (ACOs), Shop Managers plus various other members of administrative, campaigns, appeals and education staff.

By 1991, the term 'Regional' had become more usually used by Oxfam to describe its overseas work and UK/Ireland-based work was occurring within a system of 'Areas' and 'Districts'. There were now 12 Areas in the UK and Ireland, each with an Area Office and some Areas with a District Office or Campaigns Office.