Bernard Murphy was appointed in 1965 as Liaison Officer, Cooperatives and Trade Unions. From an office in London he worked on fundraising with the Co-operative in the U.K., with a target of £30,000, for the creation of cooperatives in Bechuanaland, later Botswana. He also took on the roles of Assistant to the Director, developing links with Government and political parties and broadening the constituency of Oxfam, and Adult Education Officer, organising conferences and other events to deepen understanding of aid and development issues.

Some of these files were kept originally by Peter Burns in his role as Assistant to the Director between 1963 and 1966.