With central Government funding vital to providing homelessness support set to expire in March 2025, three Oxfordshire-based charities warn what that could mean for the people who depend on their services. Describing the situation as a ‘funding cliff-edge’, Aspire Oxfordshire, Connection Support and Homeless Oxfordshire have called on their local MPs ahead of the Autumn … Read more
Natalie Carr
This year, our Direct Payment and Employment Support Service manager, Christine, led a round of recruitment for a new team member. She invited client Saira to be part of the panel so that she could contribute her lived experience to the decision process. What Saira said: “Before the interviews took place, Christine arranged a Teams meeting. … Read more
“We live in a place called Bearbrook, It’s a place that’s heaven sent, but doesn’t get a double look, For many of us it’s taken us from the street, Out of the cold, rain, snow and sleet, It’s not society’s fault, we don’t get a second look, as we all get judged before you read … Read more
People are often reluctant to accept help because they don’t want to appear vulnerable, feeling that having help is a failure. Accepting help doesn’t mean you’re weak, it is usually the opposite, as we all need support in some way at some point in our lives, and asking for help is a difficult and brave … Read more
Ethan* was in desperate need of breaking the cycle he was in of being released from prison, having nowhere to go, and becoming homeless, to then abusing substances again, leading to criminal activity and spending more time in prison. From a young age, he had been involved in using and dealing Class A and B … Read more
Ben* felt that this was his last chance to gain a better life, he was tired of misusing substances and going around in circles. He had been dismissed by an external addiction rehabilitation professional, who assumed Ben would continue relapsing as he has a history of alcoholism and depression. Luckily, our One Recovery Bucks Support … Read more
Ahead of Refugee Week, local charity, Connection Support, launches new campaign to highlight the hardship and suffering many individuals and families go through when being forcibly displaced from their homes. Many of us will never know what it feels like to live in a place of war, conflict, or persecution, desperately hoping for a brighter … Read more
I wasn’t in my country before coming to the UK. My daughters and I were in a different country going through harsh conditions and pressure. Our lives were all misery and sadness, there was nothing joyful in it, we suffered a lot. I didn’t know what would happen to us. When I heard that my … Read more
When I come to Oxford in 2019, I didn’t have anyone. I was sleeping in the road, the park. Some Kurdish people, from my country, they live here. Same culture, so they help. They give me food. One week I sleep there, one week another place. One guy said to me, ‘Go to Asylum Welcome. … Read more
The NRPF project is designed to help people with ‘no recourse to public funds’. Those individuals are typically at the bottom of the pile, when it comes to accessing services. Covid kind of changed everything. During the pandemic, the Government had a scheme called ‘Everyone In’, which included this group. That raised a lot of … Read more
On the outside, Naomi* is a young, capable single mum to a four-year-old boy. She lives in a quiet, well-maintained flat and will often go about her day as usual; she’ll take her son to nursery and then go to work. But on the inside, life is not that simple. Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, … Read more
We’ve recently launched our new three-year organisational strategy, Prevention First. Our vision for 2027 is to be a thought-leader in the prevention of homelessness and mental ill-health, spearheading innovative services that prevent crises from happening, whilst being there to offer client-centred support when they do. Whether it’s due to homelessness or poor mental health, the … Read more