Following this weeks announcement of ‘better days head’ Oasis will continue to focus on our COVID-19 Provision Programme. Now in our new centre we have the capacity to support more people face to face (when restrictions are eased), but we will also continue to work remotely with our most vulnerable clientele through food provision, crisis support and education/wellbeing support.
COVID-19 has also introduced Oasis to a brand-new group of our community who we have never engaged with before. These are the long-term, low-waged employed who have found themselves, in this pandemic, out of work through no fault of their own. This group are not used to the benefit system, have little or no savings and are struggling mentally, physically and economically to come to terms with their new circumstances. We are confident our unconditional, holistic, reliable, relevant, free, and accessible support will help this group of people navigate through this unprecedented time. We are confident that our flexible and loving culture will help us to meet their needs in a way that is fitting and people led. We are also aware this new support that is needed will increase as we journey post pandemic. Our new centre will help us scale up our support and offer our community an inspirational, community-engaging, and fresh environment. We are excited to get back to our holistic support programmes including 1-2-1 crisis support, confidence building and wellbeing workshops, education, training, and work club.
Our holistic support has never been more vital to see lives transformed in our Gorton and East Manchester communities!
Oasis was born out of prayer, compassion, and a whole lot of faith! Our future will be no different. We are dedicated to God and to our community to keep on loving them well. Our vision is to see our community fully transformed and recognised as a place of strong relationships, where people can thrive and flourish. Gorton is notorious for being run-down and neglected geographically, economically, and physically. Through consultation with our community, it has become clear that we all want to continue to take ownership of our neighbourhood through ‘Love Gorton’ projects including parks, garden and street clean ups, easy and engaging keep fit clubs, youth groups, family fun days, healthy living food programmes, community social nights, breakfast clubs, homework clubs and fundraising events to support communities less fortunate than ourselves. A lot of these ‘Love Gorton’ programmes will be launched from our brand-new day centre in partnership with many other charities and businesses. We are excited to be part of the adventure of loving and restoring our neighbourhood (and neighbours) well, so we no longer feel run-down and neglected but cared for and thriving!
Our CEO and founder, Victoria Armstrong, has been asked to sit on the ‘Centre for Social Justice’ board for the North West and we believe this will give Oasis the opportunity to share and learn insights and best practice with CSJ’s senior business leaders, politicians, and philanthropists.
We are excited about our communities future and look forward to embracing this adventure with you!
Members of The Oasis team from past and present celebrating the new building in January 2020