Oasis Centre receives funding to help fight isolation within communities

The Oasis Centre supports people St. Columb, St. Ervan, St. Eval, St. Mawgan and surrounding areas who are in a condition of need, hardship, distress, ill-health, disability or other disadvantage. Their services are for everyone but, in particular, they seek to help those who are feeling lonely and isolated, or who are housebound. Oasis runs wellbeing cafes, lunch clubs, home visiting services and a wide range of activities. The group were presented with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2022.

Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) awarded Oasis a grant of £5,000 from the Adult Social Care programme funded by Cornwall Council. The grant enabled Oasis to equip people still struggling from lockdown to cope with isolation in a constructive way. The project increased their outreach worker hours to focus on this group and also built on their programme in the Centre with more exercise, yoga, singing and drama. All activities were planned to build confidence and a sense of community.

Oasis reported that the grant has had a major impact on the lives of those people they helped. People were drawn back into the cafe environment and activities, increasing socialisation activities and building self-confidence.

“I think it is fair to say that CCF grants have completely changed the lives of many we help and have given people a new purpose in life. By funding things that are so important – hot meals, exercise, simple projects etc people's lives are changed.” Pat Walton, Oasis Centre.