The Oasis Partnership has received a donation of £5,000 from The Shanly Foundation towards their minibus appeal. The charity is known for providing high quality treatment and support to adults experiencing drug and or alcohol problems, with its main bases in Aylesbury, Wycombe and Chesham.
The donation will go towards the purchase of a new minibus for service users as part of the recovery network. The Oasis Partnership currently has one minibus which is used across its main sites. The new minibus is needed for service users at more than one site, therefore increasing the opportunities Oasis has of reaching people who require help.
Minibuses improve the day-to-day running of The Oasis Partnership as they are used to transport service users to recovery groups such as AA or NA in addition to leisurely events including BBQs and meals with other groups in the local area. The vehicles are also used to support the Recovery Cafes, picking up free food from local supermarkets through the food share scheme.
Colin McGregor-Paterson, CEO, The Oasis Partnership, comments: “Donations are extremely important to Oasis because they allow us to provide additional support services which are not available within core contracts but are key to an individual’s successful journey. Donations have supported Oasis to develop a busy volunteer project and a focussed employment, training and education support service based within two on-site Recovery Cafes.”
The Oasis Partnership works from its main bases in Aylesbury and Wycombe but also from GP Practices and other community venues. Currently, their main contract is provided in partnership with Inclusion NHS, called One Recovery Bucks. This 7-year contract which started in October 2017 provides a fully integrated substance misuse service offering clinical, psychosocial and pharmacological interventions alongside the recovery network.
Tamra Booth, trustee of the Shanly Foundation, says “Supporting a scheme such as The Oasis Partnership is so important as it is a vital community service for so many that are aiming to improve their lives. We hope that our donation will help service users with their recovery.”
The Oasis Partnership continues to fundraise for their Employment, Training, Education and Volunteering (ETEV) Project in which they hope to raise salary costs for a project manager and part time support workers able to run the volunteer project and act as mentors. This project will cost about £60,000 per year to run. Currently, Oasis have funding in place for this year and are seeking funds to cover next year’s costs.
Working with their partners, Inclusion NHS, The Oasis Partnership expect to work with more than 2,000 service users this year in Buckinghamshire. It is likely that about 200 people will benefit directly from using the minibuses.