Rattling a tin for the appeal

Fancy rattling a tin for the Gatehouse Moving Home appeal?

If so, why not Email Bruce at moodyseptic@yahoo.com to let him know... 

Bruce is looking at getting a date towards the end of July. It'll probably involve standing in the centre of Oxford with a tin and some leaflets to hand out. A great chance to tell people about the Gatehouse as well as support the appeal.

Thanks all.

PS. there's a sign up sheet on the board in the Gatehouse kitchen for anyone who wants to sign up that way instead ....

Photos of our New Venue (part 2 - inside)

And, following the earlier post, here are some photos from the inside:

Here's the main hall: this will become the main area
for our Gatehouse guests, and will feature comfy
chairs, tables, bookshelves and other amenities

The kitchen as it currently stands: this is going
to be moved entirely to another part of
the building, and this area will become
our new computer room

Another view of the main hall: you can see how
much lighter this room will be than our current venue!

The area behind the movable screen will become
our new kitchen, with a flexible serving area.

And, not to forget, new toilets - including disabled toilet
access - something we've not been able to offer before.

We hope this helps you 'visualise' some of the work that'll be going on - with your help - over the year. We're so excited about the possibilities and flexibility of this new venue, and we hope you will share our excitement as we post more news and photos over the coming months.

And remember, please donate now to help us make this work happen!

Photos of our New Venue (part 1 - outside)

As you know, after twenty years based in the Northgate Hall, the Gatehouse is moving to a new venue - the parish rooms at St Giles, where the project first started.  Hence our Moving Home appeal, which is fundraisingto cover the necessary renovations, adaptations, moving and rental expenses to this new venue.

Everyone at the Gatehouse is so excited about the move, because for the first time we'll have:

• Facilities for guests with disabilities 
• Suitable office space
• A modern kitchen
• Outside space providing shelter

The plan is to keep this blog updated with photos and videos of the work as it progresses.

So, to start off, we thought you'd like to see what the venue is like at the moment!  

First of all, the outside:

The front door to the St Giles Rooms

And the full length of the building

You can see how the building is right on the main road

 Keep your eyes peeled on the blog for part 2 - photos of what it looks like inside!

What our Guests are Saying

Two quotes recently received by guests of the Gatehouse:

Oxford would be a horrible place without the Gatehouse. So many people rely on it.
(Fluff, busker in Oxford)

I am writing to say how much I have enjoyed using the Gatehouse service in the past and at present.  I feel the staff have always been very nice to me and at times without the service offered I would have been very ill and unhappy.  I am currently using the service as a whole host of problems have occurred, financial, personal, etc, and it is virtually my only lifeline in this time of need. Thank you to one and all!
(anonymous, letter delivered by hand to The Gatehouse team this week)

Friendly faces at a recent Gatehouse opening

Remember, to find out more about our 'Moving Home' campaign and to donate, why not visit Sandwich Steve. Thanks!

The Gatehouse art group and a very special exhibition

As you may know, a big part of what we do at the Gatehouse is our Art Group. The group meets regularly on a Wednesday evening and is for any of our guests who wants to try using art to express their ideas and feelings is very welcome to join in.

Over the next couple of weeks we're delighted to say that there'll be a chance to view some of this artwork and support the Art Group:

Where?           St Barnabus Church, Jericho, Oxford, OX2 6BX

When?            21nd - 22rd and 25th - 30th May

What time?    12.00 - 5.00 every day (Thursdays 12.00 - 8.00)

So why not pop in and take a look on one of those dates?  Refreshments are also available!

Many works by our artists are available for sale.  If you are interested in any works shown here, or would like to know more about buying works, please visit the exhibition or contact picturepurchase.gatehouse@yahoo.co.uk.

We'll be showing some of the Art Group's work on this blog over the coming weeks, so keep your eyes open for that. 

For more information about the Art Group at @TheGatehouse contact us at art@oxfordgatehouse.org.

Even our friends from 'the other place' are getting in on the act!

The walkers from 'the other place!'

The traditional varsity rivalry - between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge - is of course ancient and well-established. 

So what a pleasant surprise to find the rivalry suspended for a while!

Why? Well, we're delighted to announce that the Cambridge University  Rambling Club is walking in support of the Gatehouse Moving Home appeal!

The annual Varsity March is an 81 mile walk between Oxford and Cambridge, completed in under 48 hours. The route passes through five counties (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire), walking on a mixture of public footpaths and quiet country roads. Stops are made for meals (in pubs where possible - what a suprise!) and for short breaks, but they continue walking through the night without sleep!  

The Varsity March has been taking place since 1998 (with a break in 2001 due to Foot & Mouth disease).  And this year, on the weekend of 25th-26th June, the guys and girls from the Rambling Club are walking for us!

• If you'd like to support the Varsity March this year, please visit this page to donate.
• If you'd like to find out more about the Cambridge University Rambling Club, or to join them (if you're a student at the 'other' place!), please visit their own site.
• And of course to find out more about the Moving Home appeal, find us in our usual place right here.

From a previous Varsity March -
"us? no, we're not lost!"

So just imagine - Cambridge students raising money for homeless people in Oxford.... 

Can we help them reach their target? 

On behalf of the Gatehouse 'Moving Home' team, can we express our thanks to those involved from the Rambling Club, including Matthew Ford, Alan Iwi, Steven Smith, Dylan the Sheep (!) and Geraldine the Penguin (!!).

And another article from 'The Door'

And another article on the move, this time from the Diocese of Oxford newspaper, The Door: click here to view the article.

If you're a member of a church and are interested in supporting the 'Moving Home' appeal, there are lots of ideas we can offer. Why not get in touch at ghappeal@gmail.com: we'll do what we can to help....

And keep your eyes on the blog over the next few days: we'll be announcing a brilliant new way for you to get involved with the appeal. 

Until then, have a great weekend.

An article from 'The Oxford Journal' about the move

I thought you might be interested to see a recent article from 'The Oxford Journal' on the move: plus, a fetching photo of our Director Andrew Smith (for those who know him)!

Check out the article here.

Ways to donate to the appeal

Are you interested in donating to the 'Moving Home' appeal? 

Don't forget: the best way to donate is via our Sandwich Steve page: in just a few clicks, you'll be able to donate safely and securely via the just-giving system. Plus, let us know what you think of the move at the same time!

If you'd like to find out more about other ways of donating, such as by cheque or by standing order, take a look at this page: you'll find all the details you need.

Thanks again for your support. For now, cheerio!

... and what's the news for 2011?

Having given you the story so far, a new chapter is upon us for 2011. 

The Gatehouse is moving home!

After 20 years in the Northgate Hall in the centre of Oxford, the Gatehouse is moving to a new venue at the parish rooms at St Giles, where the project first started. We have launched an appeal to cover the necessary renovations, adaptations, moving and rental expenses. We anticipate these will cost around £175,000.   

We need to raise this money urgently because we would like to start the work in the summer and move by the end of this year.  

So that's where we've got to. And that's why we've just launched our 'Moving Home' campaign. So keep you're eyes on this blog over the next few weeks: we'll be providing more information about the move, as well as details about the fundraising. 

For now, if you want to find out more and donate, why not visit Sandwich Steve!

The Story of the Gatehouse so far ....

So what's the Gatehouse all about? For those who are new to this blog, here's the story so far:

It was back in the winter of 1988 when a group of concerned citizens got together to run a Christmas drop-in for the homeless of Oxford.  At that time none of the projects in teh city working with homeless people were open in the 4.00 to 7.00 pm slot. So at that time, there was nowhere to escape for those on the streets to escape from the rain, the cold or the blazing sun.

So what happened? This group of people said to themselves: "Someone ought to do something!" and then agreed they would have to do the job themselves.  Without previous experience, but fired by a naive optimism, they created a social space for those on the edge and proceeded to make lots of sandwiches and cups of tea.

So where are we today?

Having moved to the Northgate Hall in St Michael's Street in 1991 (and acquired the name 'The Gatehouse'), the project still has many of the same features: an open door to anyone in need, a non-judgmental and supportive attitude, and a volunter-led team.  A community has been created in which people of all ages and backgrounds have learned to trust each other and work for the common good.

Newspapers, a library, the regular art group and computer club, a clothes store and creative writing make this much more than a soup kitchen: a community centre for those with no community of their own.  And there is no charge for any of this.

So that's the story so far... keep your eyes on the blog for more about the changes that are afoot for us in 2011!

Welcome to the new Gatehouse blog!

Hi, and welcome to the Gatehouse's new blog!

The Gatehouse is an Oxford-based charity providing food, shelter and company to the city's homeless and poorly-housed population. And as you may know, this year we're moving home!

On our blog we'll be posting with all the latest news about our fundraising campaign and about the new premises, including photos, videos and much more.

Why not bookmark us at gatehousemovinghome.blogspot.com?

Thanks - we look forward to keeping in touch with you. The Gatehouse Moving House team.