Latest News

City awarded £2.3 million

Released on 8 Apr 2008

Oxford City Council has been awarded 2.3 million pounds through the Places for Change Programme run by the Department for Communities and Local Government for a number of improvement projects in Oxford.

The largest of the projects will be the refurbishment of the Old Fire Station in the city centre.

A new Crisis Skylight centre will be accommodated in the building that will provide creative and performance classes, healthy living workshops and IT. The centre will offer training courses for those at risk of homelessness as well as providing a resource that can be used by the whole community.

The Old Fire Station will retain the theatre and gallery.

Steppin' Stone day centre

Other projects include improvements to the Steppin' Stone day centre in East Oxford to create a brighter and more welcoming space and the refurbishment of the entrance and reception of O'Hanlon House Night Shelter in the city centre.

The Aspire Oxfordshire Community Enterprise project, which aids the transition from homelessness into paid employment, will also be extended. Further staff will be employed and more equipment will be bought to support the gardening and landscaping team.

Extremely exciting

The Old Fire Station Cultural steering group says, "The news that Oxford City is to house a Crisis Skylight Centre within the Old Fire Station, one of the longest-established cultural centres in the city, is extremely exciting.

"This unique venture will offer a wide range of opportunities for the cultural sector to engage with and a real chance to participate in an innovative and leading edge project.

"We hope to build on the good work already being undertaken with the homeless by arts organisations such as OFVM, OVADA and Fusion and for the arts to become an integral part of this new centre in the future.

Long and successful partnership