HUB NEWS VOLUME 8 • SUMMER 2022
IN THIS ISSUE
THE CONSISTENCY OF CHANGE The Consistency of Change • P. 1
JO DOLBY, HUB LEADER
As summer is upon us, I'm aware of many things we've missed for so long returning - holidays, seeing friends or family, returning to the office, enjoying concerts and performances. But even as these things have returned, they're not quite the same. Sometimes that's a good thing, as lessons we've learned from covid have reshaped and improved what we do and how we do it.
IN THIS ISSUE Oasis Pantry • P. 2
New Satellite Launched -3
New Website • P. 3
Fundraising News • P. 4
Change, always happens. In fact its constant! Culture, trends, needs and communities are always changing and it's important to respond to that change. We can embrace change and listen to its gentle invitation to grow, or we can resist it.
Spotlight • P. 5
Join Us • P. 6
In this edition of Hub News you'll read about many exciting changes at Oasis, such as the development of our food pantries and our brand new website. You'll also read about one of our amazing volunteers Kate, who responded to sudden changes in her life in a way that has helped so many others. In lots of ways the next few months are uncertain and unknown, but at least we know change is certain! May we have the courage to listen and respond to it.
OASIS PANTRY UPDATE Both our city centre and Roundhill pantries continue to grow and develop. We now have 201 members and welcome on average 37 people each week. As well as accessing affordable food, our co-location of services strategy means we've been able to help our members in lots of other ways. We've welcomed organisations such as Clean Slate, The Nest Project, Women's Work Lab and Future Bright, who regularly spend time at our pantries chatting to members and identifying any support they might be able to offer. We've found this to be a really effective way of helping members access additional help and support. We now have a cookbook library at each pantry, offering members a range of ideas for nutritious and healthy recipes on a budget, and we're hoping to grow this library over the coming months. In September we will provide a community cafe element at each of our pantries, where members can stay to enjoy free refreshments and conversations with volunteers and other pantry members.
Improvements to our community hall kitchen are now complete, with a new oven, dishwasher and floor! A huge thank you to the National Lottery and Ikea, who funded this work through their 'Places Called Home' grant.
BEFORE
AFTER Have you read our 2021 Impact Report? http://tinyurl.com/impactreport2021
NEW OASIS WEBSITE!
Our new website, paid for by a grant from Quartet Community Foundation's Resilience Fund, is now live. We couldn't be happier with the website, which has already helped so many more people find us, access our services and those we host in our building. The new site includes a much simpler and safer design, meaning it's more secure from cyber attacks and is also much easier for our staff team to use and update. We'd like to say a huge thank you to Quartet Community Foundation, whose grant has given us this incredible opportunity to totally transform our online presence. The grant has also paid for some photography for the site and our other communications, and we're really excited to be in the process of developing a promotional film which we hope to share with you later in the year. Do go and check out the site, and let us know what you think!
www.oasisbath.org
PANTRY QUIZ In April we held a quiz at Oasis Church Bath to raise money for our food pantries. As the cost of living crisis takes hold, we want to ensure we can continue to run both pantries well into the future, and make space for more members who want to join. Fundraising activities such as this one are a really important way to do this, but they also raise awareness of the projects and the impacts they have. At the quiz we also profiled our brand new pantry film, made for us by Editors for Impact. You can watch the film by visiting https://vimeo.com/oasisbath/oasispantry or by scanning the QR code on this page. Alongside the quiz we also held a raffle, with prizes kindly donated by local businesses. A huge thank you to The Egg Theatre, Landrace Bakery, Consciously You, Morrisons and the Little Theatre, who all donated fantastic prizes!
SOUTHGATE DIGITAL DONATION BOX If you're shopping at the Southgate Shopping Centre in Bath anytime soon, do have a look out for The Giving Box - a digital donation box installed by Southgate to raise money for four local charities, of which we are really pleased to be one! The box allows you to donate £3 using your contactless bank card or mobile device. The donations are shared equally between the four chosen charities. Do spread the word and encourage others to donate! A huge thank you to the Southgate Centre for choosing us as one of their charities this year!
SPOTLIGHT In this regular Hub News feature we interview someone involved in or connected to the work of Oasis Hub Bath.
Kate Gibson Volunteer at Oasis Pantry City Centre
How did you get involved at Oasis? I started volunteering at Oasis Pantry approximately 18 months ago in between lockdowns as my hospitality business had temporarily closed due to Covid. I was a bit nervous to be honest as I have never done anything like this before. The team at Oasis Pantry were very welcoming and I felt like a natural, talking with people whilst offering our members a lovely variety of different food, vegetables and cleaning products. I started to think out of the box, something I do for my business, about how I could support the Pantry more. I got in touch with the Chelsea Deli in Chelsea Road, Bath, and asked them if they would be a drop off point for food and toiletries for the pantry. They said yes immediately and I have collected boxes upon boxes of items from them Thank you Giuseppe!
Twice I have put a leaflet through all my neighbours doors and each time have collected over 20 bags of food and toiletries, a generous amount – Thank you neighbours of The Glen!
Why do you volunteer? Volunteering is such a wonderful thing to do, it gives you a purpose and indeed helps your own state of mind when everything looks upside down and inside out. I strongly recommend volunteering. When you see the smiles on the faces of the people you have personally helped there is nothing better. Go on give it a go, the rewards are immense! Thank you Oasis Pantry for helping our community and giving me the chance to experience how to be a volunteer.
To find out more about volunteering with Oasis, email welcome@oasisbath.org
Join Us! 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, four 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...
Volunteer... 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.
Give... There are lots of ways to give financially to the work of Oasis Hub Bath. You can give regularly through your online bank 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.
Don't forget to follow us on social media too! @OasisHubBath
@Oasis_Bath
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Oasis Hub Bath is a registered charity (no.1138904) and part of Oasis UK. To contact us email welcome@oasisbath.org, and to find out more about us please visit www.oasisbath.org