Trustees Archives - Oasis Community Housing

New homeless charity trustees appointed amidst growing need

Ben Johnston — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:47:18 +0000

This Trustees Week (4 – 8 November), homeless charity Oasis Community Housing announces the appointment of two new trustees to help steer the charity in the face of growing need.

Jonathan Wood and Steve Coles bring expertise in operations, housing and health, respectively, as latest figures show over 320,000 households are facing homelessness, a record high.

Oasis Community Housing works to tackle the root causes of homelessness as well as supporting over 1,300 men, woman and children on their journeys out of homelessness each year. This year marks 40 years since the charity was founded.

The charity’s Chair of trustees, Nick Salisbury, said:

“We warmly welcome Jonathan Wood and Steve Coles as new members of the board of trustees. Their invaluable experience will further enrich our Board’s ability to play an active role in leveraging the charity’s life-changing work, to achieve the greatest impact for people facing homelessness.

“We really appreciate and value the input of all of our trustees, who freely give their experience and expertise to help Oasis Community Housing continue working with people, who have often suffered unimaginable traumas, to reach their God-given potential.”

New charity trustees are:

Jonathan Wood – Jonathan is CEO of the Leeds Diocesan Board of Finance. Prior to this, he had a varied career within the Ministry of Justice, latterly as the National Services Director of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service. In all of Jonathan’s roles, his focus has been on making a positive difference to people through effective and efficient operations.

Steve Coles – Steve works in a variety of leadership, governance and advisory roles in the social sector, with particular expertise in homelessness, housing and health. Formerly the CEO of Spitalfields Crypt Trust, an addictions recovery and homelessness charity in east London, Steve is now the Chair of J49, a registered provider of social housing; the Chair of the Guild of Health, which helps churches be places of health, healing and flourishing; and is on the leadership team of The Salvation Army church where he lives in south west London.

Commenting on his appointment, Jonathan said:

“I’m excited to be joining Oasis Community Housing. I have heard really good things about the work it does, and the people who do it from fellow trustees. I am looking forward to being able to bring my perspective from running a large charity with a significant property portfolio and to support the team as they continue to deliver and make a difference for those in need.”

Commenting on his appointment, Steve said:

“I am really pleased to have been appointed as a trustee of Oasis Community Housing. It’s an organisation that I have known and admired for quite a few years, particularly in relation to its trauma-informed work and Housing First projects. Being part of an organisation with strong values, a passion for creating positive change, and an amazing team is a real privilege. The work of Oasis Community Housing is life-changing and nothing short of life-saving. I’m looking forward to playing a small part in it all over the coming years.”

Oasis Community Housing’s Acting Chief Executive, Sarah Lister, said she was looking forward to working with the newly expanded Board:

“We’re seeing shocking numbers of people facing the daily crisis of homelessness rise higher and higher, year on year. The need has never been greater.

“We welcome our charity trustees, who bring new perspectives and professional expertise that will help us continue to hone our delivery of frontline, trauma-informed support to more people, in more places.”

For more information about Oasis Community Housing, visit oasiscommunityhousing.org

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Sarah Lister becomes Acting CEO for homeless charity

Oasis Community Housing — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 13:47:28 +0000

Oasis Community Housing’s CEO, David Smith, has been elected Member of Parliament (MP) for North Northumberland. As a result, David will step down from his role with immediate effect and Chief Operating Officer, Sarah Lister, will become Acting CEO for homeless charity.

Making the announcement, Oasis Community Housing’s Chair of Trustees Nick Salisbury said, ‘Our congratulations go to David on his new role in Parliament.

‘We thank David for his energy and leadership over the past seven years: expanding our drop-in and emergency projects, rapidly re-mapping our support services on the announcement of COVID lockdown, launching the charity’s very important and influential Tackling Trauma campaign, and for taking us through the rebrand to become who we are today, Oasis Community Housing.

‘Now, looking forward for Oasis Community Housing, Sarah Lister has kindly agreed to become our acting CEO, whilst we seek to recruit a new permanent CEO. Sarah has been with the charity for six years and is our current Chief Operating Officer, and carries with her a wealth of skill and experience.

‘Our work continues in earnest with the more than 1,300 men, women and families who we support on their journeys out of homelessness each year.’

Find out more about our Senior Leadership Team >

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Homelessness Sunday: Reverend Mark Bryant shares how Christians can support people facing homelessness

Ben Johnston — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 14:29:05 +0000

The Right Reverend Mark Bryant, former Bishop of Jarrow:

I met Danny just before nine o’clock one spring morning as we were both waiting for the Basis Drop-in to open. “I’m buzzing” he greeted me “I’m getting my key at eleven o’clock and I am buzzing”. This was the day Danny was at last to get a key to his own place and he had brought a couple of shirts to get them washed so that everything could be right before he moved into his new place.

All I could do was share in his joy and excitement – and be somewhat relieved that I knew that Oasis Community Housing staff would be around to support him – on this new adventure. My joy and excitement was that here was somebody who was just getting ready for a new adventure and for whom the future at last looked good and full of promise. The words of Jesus flashed into my mind “I came that they might have life and have life in all its fullness” (John 10.10).

It felt that at last Danny was getting a new glimpse of that fullness and richness of life which, as Christians, we believe God desires for every single one of his children. What I have learned over the years is that homelessness is not the real issue for many who find their way to Oasis Community Housing. Many of those who come are homeless because they have experienced often many traumas in their lives.

Early life has often been difficult and that has made it difficult as they grow up to form good and healthy relationships. It has meant that life has sometimes become unhelpfully chaotic and sometimes the pain of just being alive has been so great that the only way to dull the pain is through alcohol or other drugs.

Funding or holding down a tenancy has become simply impossible.

Circumstances have made it harder for them to glimpse that fullness of life which may have come a little more easily to others. That means that Homelessness Sunday is about far more than a concern for people who find themselves sleeping rough or living in totally inadequate housing, it is about enabling people to start to discover something of that fullness of life that is God’s desire for every member of the human family.

Over the summer the Archbishop of York – somewhat misrepresented in the secular press – spoke of the importance of the word “our” in the “Our Father” prayer. He was reminding us that God is the father of all of us. There is nobody to whom God is not father, which means, of course, that all human beings are our brothers and sisters in God. Homelessness Sunday reminds us that those who find themselves homeless or vulnerably housed are our brothers and sisters and that therefore we cannot ignore what is happening to them nor what has happened to them.

Homelessness Sunday asks us what we can do not just about people who find themselves homeless but also about a society which makes it so difficult for so many to even glimpse fullness of life as they grow up. www.oasiscommunityhousing.org

It would be wonderful if churches up and down the country could mark Homelessness Sunday as a time to pause and reflect and ask what God is asking of us who love in a nation where the fullness of life that God desires for everyone is so difficult to find. It is a time too to be thankful for Danny and the many others who are starting to discover what it can really be like.

Find out more about how you and your church can help here >>>

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New charity Trustees appointed to help amplify impact for people facing homelessness

Oasis Community Housing — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 11:13:01 +0000

Oasis Community Housing has expanded its Board with the appointment of four new charity Trustees, following the launch of an ambitious three-year strategy to widen its reach and amplify its impact for men, women and vulnerable families facing homelessness.

The new Trustees, with expertise in the media, advocacy and policy change, fundraising, innovative financing and business management, take up their positions this month and increase board membership to 10 from 7, with Trustee Dr Caroline Wroe electing to stand down to due to work commitments.

New charity Trustees are:

Rebecca Skippage – Rebecca is the BBC’s first Disinformation Editor, leading teams based across the world to report, investigate and debunk ‘fake news’. With more than 20 years journalism experience, she has spoken at international events on disinformation, security and media and advised the UK and EU governments.
Andrew Griffiths – Andrew is Head of Advocacy at international charity Sightsavers. With extensive experience in the third sector, he is also published on a number of topics including nutrition in fragile states and disability policy. He co-chairs the Bond Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Group, working to influence UK government’s implementation of the UN SDGs.
John Norton – John is Head of Workplace Health and Wellbeing Operations at the British Heart Foundation. He is responsible for the Health at Work Programme, with an aim to improve the health of workplaces and provide organisations with information and services that can help to detect and reduce the risk factors that contribute to heart and circulatory diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes, vascular dementia and diabetes. John has over 25 years’ fundraising and commercial experience for leading national charities and multinational organisations.
Washington Waithaka – Washington has 25 years’ international experience as a treasury and finance leader. His diverse career ranges from audit of international development projects in Eastern Africa to leading finance and treasury teams in London and New York. He is now Director of Liquidity at Chipper Cash, a fintech dedicated to expanding financial inclusion in regions of the world most in need of accessible, easy-to-use and affordable financial services.

Oasis Community Housing’s Chair of Trustees, Nick Salisbury, said the Board was excited about the expansion: “The introduction of new charity Trustees is part of our ongoing journey to increase the diversity and experiences across Oasis Community Housing, including our Board.

“Rebecca, Andrew, John and Washington join us at an important time, following the launch of our ambitious new three year strategy a few months ago.

“The new Trustees – including Trustee Fiona Bowman, who joined us as domestic abuse lead in the Autumn – will further enrich our Board’s ability to play an active role in leveraging the charity’s life changing work, to achieve the greatest impact for people facing homelessness.”

David Smith, Chief Executive of the homelessness charity, said he was looking forward to working with the newly expanded Board: “Over the past two years the true scale of the homelessness crisis has been exposed by the pandemic. The need has never been greater.

“We welcome our charity Trustees, who bring exciting new perspectives and professional expertise that will help us in shifting gears as we seek to offer more support, to more people, in more places.”

Every year the charity helps over 1,000 people by providing housing and support and, more fundamentally, a place where they feel they can belong.

Addressing both the immediate needs and the root causes of homelessness through its Basis crisis services; Home 24/7 supported accommodation; an Empower programme for women escaping domestic abuse and Aspire unemployment support and financial skills training.

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Charity joins 16 days of action as 1 in 3 homeless women face domestic abuse

Ben Johnston — Thu, 25 Nov 2021 12:15:42 +0000

Homelessness charity Oasis Community Housing is joining White Ribbon UK and thousands of other indviduals and organisations in raising awareness of domestic abuse and violence, in a bid to prevent it before it starts, as today (25 November) commences 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

Oasis Community has a long history of working with women who have experienced the trauma of domestic abuse or are in need of accommodation and housing related support. Domestic abuse and violence are major factors leading to homelessness, with over a third of women who become homeless having experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence.

The charity’s launched its commitment to the 16 days of activism with a free online event, Domestic Abuse – it’s everyone’s business. New trusee Fiona Bowman led a panel discussion with Paul Quinlan of EY, Amanda Stallwood from Akzonobel and Bev Coombs of Gateshead Council, whom shared how their businesses have been supporting employees who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The charity works closely with Gateshead Council on the delivery of its domestic abuse services, and Akzonobel is generously supporting this life-changing support for women in the North East.

Know someone facing domestic abuse? Visit our Get Help page >

During the event, Fiona also shared her own story of escaping a violent relationship thanks to the support of her employers at the time. Fiona says:

““It took me a long time, nearly 18 years, to disclose to employers that I was a survivor of Domestic Abuse, but when I was ready I started to go out and speak to businesses about the importance of employers in the lives of victims and how, if they can put policies and structures in place to support their staff who may be experiencing abuse, their intervention may save a life.

“It would be good to find effective ways of embedding cultures in all businesses to ensure that survivors and perpetrators can universally receive signposting to the best help available. “Creating supportive structures with well-trained Managers and Mentors who can spot the signs early and have robust policies in place to guide these employees. Early intervention saves lives.”

Tackling domestic abuse

It was Lynne Livsey, Oasis Community Housing’s Head of Programme for Prevention, who first invited Fiona to speak to the charity’s Board. Lynne has been instrumental in the development of the Empower domestic abuse service at Oasis Community Housing in recent years and it’s her vision of an integrated approach to tackling domestic abuse that the charity is developing.

Ahead of the 16 days, Lynne and Fiona have reviewed and update the charity’s internal domestic abuse policies. Lynne explains:

“‘We’re adopting a whole systems approach to domestic abuse, ensuring that we continually review and improve the support we offer. This includes: providing training and raising awareness of domestic abuse amongst our own staff and volunteers wherever they work, appointing workplace champions to offer peer support, and responding quickly and effectively when abuse is suspected or disclosed.”

“We believe that Employers have a crucial role to play in raising awareness and responding to domestic abuse and we are delighted to be playing our part in this year’s White Ribbon campaign and 16 days of action.

“We will be raising awareness of the warning signs that something is not right, training staff to recognise the different types of domestic abuse, providing support to managers to deal with disclosures and ensuring that individuals affected by domestic abuse are referred to specialist services for advice and support.”

How you can help

Help us keep women safe in our communities and make a life-changing difference to the many facing domestic abuse, donate today.

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