Oasis Church Salford
Our work in Salford is based in and around Salford Quays. Despite being the site of the BBC's MediaCityUK development, the Department of Health ranks the catchment around the Oasis Hub in the top 10% of the most deprived in England.
We really do believe that the whole of every person matters
Kelly is one of 8,000 lone parents living in the city. Last year, she brought her two primary school-age sons, Adam and Andrew, to holiday clubs run by Oasis Church. After the first club Kelly began to volunteer for Oasis herself and later spoke about the impact this had on her: "It's very hard being a single mum, especially because Adam has difficulty with concentration and Andrew is being bullied at school. The boys have really loved coming to the Oasis holiday clubs. Adam gets really into the activities and Andrew has more confidence to try new things."
Mark and Jessie Greer lead the Oasis Church in Salford, and believe the church should prioritise family support. "We really do believe that the whole of every person matters. That's why it's so important we offer holistic care; not only to people in their workplaces or schools, but in their family setting too; the environment that has the most impact on a person's life."
Our hope is that through work like this, mothers and fathers might benefit as well as their children, as was the case for Kelly. "Seeing what they get out of it and being around such a positive environment gives me more hope for my boys and motivates me to try to be a better mum for them. Thank you for what you do for us as a family."