Oxford: a tale of two cities
Oxford is one of the UK’s most celebrated – and unequal – cities.
Ten of its neighbourhood areas are among England’s 20% most deprived areas.
Centre for Cities rates it one of the least affordable places to live in the country. Many of the people who work in the city can’t afford to live there.
Numbers of people who are street homeless in Oxford are high – and rising. It’s a lonely and dangerous way to live, with a mean age at death of 45 years for men and 43 for women.
Housing pressures make life harder for people leaving local prisons, too. Reoffending rates rise steeply for people who end up on the streets on release, and a painful cycle of offending, rough sleeping and reoffending can set in.
But the good news is that the right support at the right time can make a life-changing difference.
That’s why we work closely with partners including St Mungo’s, the local probation service, Turning Point and St Aldates and St Ebbe’s churches. Together, we’re supporting people to find a hope and a future after some of life’s toughest experiences.
‘I went straight from the airport to join the British Army when I first came to the UK from my home in St Vincent. I spent 12 years as a soldier, and served in Iraq.
That was where I was travelling one night, in the back of an Army Land Rover, trying to get some sleep. Something told me to put my helmet on. For a split second I argued with myself, but then I put it on – and the vehicle overturned…’
‘Before ACT, my life was run on self-will. God was around me, but I wasn’t open to him. I was using illicit drugs, a long-term relationship broke down and I became homeless. Then I went to jail.
The first time I came out I ended up rough sleeping and five days later I was using again – then back in jail.’