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!
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