BRAVE SPACES
At Oasis, we often use the words ‘safe’ and ‘safe spaces’ as we describe the kind of experience we want people to have as they encounter our community Activist Loretta Ross describes why she uses the term ‘brave spaces’ instead of ‘safe spaces’
“All we can do is create spaces to be brave together. To call people into a brave space is to summon everyone to try something together. To promise people a safe space [is] to make everyone a promise about everyone else. And that’s impossible to keep.”
We do our best to make all our spaces safe But more than that we want to make our spaces brave - where we all have the courage to have the tough conversations with one another, where we’re growing in our self awareness, boundary setting and taking responsibility for ourselves, where we’re not afraid to take risks, mess up and say sorry!
A foundation of safety is important, but bravery is what breaks new ground, and often what brings change and transformation Our world needs brave spaces more than ever, and as we look ahead to the next few years with the introduction of our 2025 - 2028 Hub Plan, we’re definitely going to need to be brave!
T R A U M A I N F O R M E D Y O G A
Thanks to funding from the Bath Half Marathon Fund, distributed by Quartet Community Foundation, we’ve been able to run another set of eight Trauma Informed Yoga classes We successfully enrolled ten participants through referrals, which identified that a trauma-focused yoga programme would be beneficial for their wellbeing The initiative was delivered by Active Stillness, in partnership with Bath Mind who provided a staff member for each class (see our interview with Anna fron Active Stillness on page 8!)
The sessions were thoughtfully designed to educate participants about the nervous system, the effects of trauma on the body, and how trauma can be held within the body. Each class introduced practical tools and techniques to help participants regulate their nervous systems and expand their window of tolerance. This, in turn, enabled them to better manage the everyday stresses of life and foster greater resilience.
Feedback from attendees highlighted the benefits they experienced Participants described the sessions as “calming,” “healing,” and “safe.” They gained practical tools such as breathing techniques and grounding exercises, to manage day-to-day stress and emotional overwhelm In the feedback they noted that learning about these practices was “very helpful ”
The grant allowed us to reach some of the most vulnerable members of the Bath community By providing them with support, tools, and a safe space to build a sense of community, the programme supported their wellbeing and led to some amazing outcomes, see the feedback and case study on the next page.
We have no further funding to continue running the classes but really hope to secure some soon as we recognise the huge impact this project has on people’s lives Watch this space!
A yoga position called ‘child’ s pose ’
Practicing some breathing techniques
Anna (Active Stillness) and Hannah (Bath Mind)
TRAUMA INFORMED YOGA: IMPACT
Anaya* joined the programme through a referral from her key worker She had experienced significant trauma and was struggling with severe anxiety, insomnia, and was receiving extensive support through counselling and medication for PTSD and depression
A N A Y A ’ S S T O R Y
Anaya expressed that she really enjoyed the classes, particularly finding recovery in the meditation and breathwork practices She was able to talk to the class teacher and the support worker from Bath Mind about her struggles with memory and how she could support herself better. She shared that developing friendships and a sense of community was especially challenging
One significant breakthrough occurred when Anaya mentioned the longer-lasting benefits of supporting her nervous system, including feeling calmer for days after each session and sleeping better one of her biggest struggles.
With the additional communication and support from the programme teacher, Anaya was able to build connections and experience a safe, supportive space during each class
The programme provided Anaya with a place where she could feel supported and explore her healing journey at her own pace, while developing practical skills to manage daily life and prepare for her upcoming college course. After completing the programme, Anaya spoke to her key worker about how much she enjoyed the sessions and hoped that the programme could be delivered to more people like her, as she felt it would benefit others facing similar challenges
*Name has been changed, and the photo above is a stock image
“One of my goals was to feel more calmness and peace. I definitely achieved this. The sessions felt like an extremely safe space, and became a sacred hour that I looked forward to each week.”
“It was totally life transforming, very empowering and 'normalised' the effects of trauma. It showed me how I could begin to re-connect with my body and return to a more 'balanced' state when necessary. ”
The week after our new boiler was up and running (see page 6!), we were putting it to good use with our winter warm space: Oasis Living Room This is the third year we have run a Living Room at Oasis
Every Monday evening during the coldest months of the year, we have opened the doors to our ground floor space and invited people in to share a hot meal, board games, jigsaw puzzles, and conversation.
The front of the room became a cosy space with dining tables, sofas, and entertainment, and the back corner of the room was transformed into our Winter Pop-Up Pantry where, like our other pantry sessions, people could buy low-cost groceries.
It was important that people felt ownership of the space, so there was an open invitation for people to make drinks and serve themselve food just like they would at home
In previous years, meals have been provided by external partners, bu this year catering was all done in-house! This was possible thanks t a gaggle of volunteers from our church community, who joined in on Sunday afternoon to batch cook for the coming month. We mad hearty potato stew, nachos with vegetarian chilli, veggie sausag casserole, and an all-day breakfast, among other delicious dishe which filled up the freezer. Our Living Room members appreciated the time and care of a home-cooked meal
The biggest benefit to people’s wellbeing has been not warmth but company It has been amazing to see people coming out of their shell, discovering experiences in common, and staying to chat after they have finished their meal One of our members chose to bring in cake to celebrate their birthday with us, and it was so lovely to be able to share that with him As he said, “It’s much better than sitting watching TV at home”
BATCH COOKING... a huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers!!
O A S I S P A N T R Y
In our community projects, such as our pantry, we aim to offer a really wide range of other services, co-located in our pantry space, aimed at supporting different areas of people's lives
Recently, we held a vaccination clinic and blood pressure check in each of our pantries, which was incredibly popular Members were able to ask a number of wider health related questions, alongside receiving vaccinations or getting their blood pressure checked Some had previous medical trauma, and this visit allowed them to feel listened to, and to have a positive healthcare experience in a familiar and safe space Several members were referred to their GP due to their blood pressure readings
One member was able to secure an urgent GP appointment with support from the team member, because of the blood pressure readings they’d taken. That member was then enthusiastic with their thanks when they came to the pantry next, telling us that "we'd saved her life". Her GP had told her that her blood pressure was so high it would have had a significant detrimental impact on her health, had it not been picked up at the pantry. The impact our pantries have is so much more than "just" low-cost food!
Our food pantry prices have recently increased, but it’s amazing how much of a saving our members still make by shopping with us. We did a typical pantry shop at both membership levels, and worked out how much that exact same shop would have cost at Sainsburys
Level 1 members now pay £4, a similar shop would have cost £21.04 at Sainsburys, giving them a saving of £17.04! That would be £68 16 a month
Level 2 members now pay £6.50, with a similar shop costing them £35 38 at Sainsburys, giving them a saving of £28 88! That would be £115.52 a month.
These huge savings allow our members to reduce their monthly outgoings, freeing up money to spend on other essentials. While we don’t like putting our prices up, we’re reassured people are still getting a pretty great deal!
B
E T T E R S P A C E S !
During one rollercoaster week in November, heating engineers told us that our current, 40-year-old boiler needed to be condemned, and could no longer be serviced Having no working boiler would essentially close our building as we would have no heating for any of our community spaces and projects
In the same week we found out that we'd been successful in applying to the VCSE energy efficiency fund, being awarded around £30,000. Not only has this allowed us to remove our old and broken boiler, but it has enabled us to upgrade to a much more energy efficient heating system for the whole building This will reduce our carbon footprint, save us money on our energy bills, and mean the building will be warm and comfortable for all those using it. We've even been able to install radiators to rooms in the building that didn't have heating at all! The new system is fantastic and works so well, so well in fact that we've been at times way too hot - words we never thought we'd say! We're so grateful to the VCSE fund, and to Groundwork who have been really helpful in getting us through the application process and to the finish line
We often don't talk about these kinds of things, but small charities like ours face huge challenges with ongoing core costs that keep rising such as utilities, which are often impossible to grant fund, and made more expensive in older buildings like ours Without the basic costs covered, we can't deliver or host community projects, so work like this is really important, and essential
T H E G R E E N R O O M
Our basement community space has been renamed ‘The Green Room’ and is now available to hire for one-off and regular bookings, with discounts offered for charities. Perfect for a small group, training session or team day, this space also benefits from it’s own kitchen and toilets If you want to find out more, get in touch by emailing churchadmin@oasisbath.org
We enjoyed visiting Focus Counselling for lunch in their new offices, just around the corner from us, after saying goodbye to them last year We’re so pleased they’ve found such a fantastic and better suited space to continue their important work.
In January we welcomed Paul Green to our staff team Paul is our new Hub Admin Assistant, and is responsible for dealing with most of the admin related to our food pantries He’s already doing a great job, and we’re thrilled to have him with us!
Oasis UK is 40 years old this year! To mark this important milestone a national campaign has been launched called ‘No one left out’, or #NOLO if you’re on social media! Go and check out the brilliant new website and promo film to find out more: www.oasisNOLO.org
S P O T L I
In this regular Hub News feature we interview someone involved in or connected to the work of Oasis Hub Bath
Anna Caldwell
Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher
How are you connected to Oasis?
We moved to Bath from London in 2021, where we were part of Oasis Waterloo One of the reasons we chose Bath was because we could join another inclusive Oasis church My husband Andy, our three children, and I attend Oasis Church Bath, and I’ve also been running a TraumaInformed Yoga programme here.
What impact have you seen the Trauma Informed Yoga classes have on people’s lives?
I’ve seen people start to feel more comfortable in their own skin, find moments of peace, and reconnect with themselves. Some have shared that they sleep better, feel less anxious, or simply enjoy having a safe space to unwind This is a direct quote from a participant;
What is Trauma Informed Yoga?
Trauma often causes individuals to disassociate from their internal experience This could be a way to find safety as someone doesn’t feel safe in their body, or it could be a way to move away from the pain of the present. Trauma can distort our relationship to our bodies It also leaves us stuck in the protection mode of ‘fight or flight’. Trauma-Informed Yoga helps people rebuild a sense of safety and connection within themselves by working gently with the nervous system It’s less about perfect poses and more about choice, empowerment, and regulating the ‘fight or flight’ response
"During some sessions, I felt strong emotions, but because of the safe space, I was able to ‘be with’ them rather than fight against them The explanations about the vagus nerve and the importance of breath and reconnecting the body and mind were very powerful and healing It was totally life-transforming The realisation that if only I had experienced this years ago!”
What are you hopes for the future in regards to your yoga work?
I’d love to keep offering Trauma-Informed Yoga to more people, especially those who wouldn’t typically access yoga spaces I hope to break down the perception that yoga is just for ‘bendy, thin people’ it’s a powerful tool for anyone who’s struggling and wants to feel safe and connected in their body.
To find out more about Anna’s work visit www.activestillness.org
There are loads of ways to get involved in the work of Oasis Hub Bath. Reading this newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with all we're up to so if you want to make sure you receive this direct to your inbox, three times a year, let us know by emailing welcome@oasisbath.org. Here are some other ways you can be a part of what we're doing
There are a variety of opportunities at Oasis Hub Bath to use your skills to benefit others and get to know new people Even a couple of hours every few weeks could make a real difference to someone in need, so if you've got some time to spare get in touch and we'll find the perfect role for you Just email welcome@oasisbath.org.
There are lots of ways to give financially to the work of Oasis Hub Bath. You can give regularly through online banking or by completing a standing order form, which enables us to claim Gift Aid on your donation For all the information you need about different ways to give, visit www oasisbath org/donate Thanks so much.
