A Place at the Table for those in need this Christmas with Aspire Oxford.

Christmas: the most wonderful time of the year. But for hundreds of people in our community, the reality is very different.

Many of us are used to the enjoyment of Christmas as a time of togetherness and indulgence. But across Oxfordshire, celebration is the last thing on the minds of many experiencing poverty, long-term unemployment, living at risk of homelessness, already sleeping rough – facing Christmas alone, and in need of vital intervention to get through the winter.

At Aspire Oxford , we work tirelessly to provide support for people in these circumstances all year round – responding to increasing demand amid Oxfordshire’s homelessness and housing crisis  – but this Christmas, we want to make sure they all have a Place at the Table .

Aspire’s Christmas AppealAs part of our wider Christmas Appeal, on Wednesday 18th December Aspire are hosting a festive dinner for the people we support experiencing disadvantage, poverty and homelessness.

Through this event, these people have the opportunity to enjoy a hot meal, a Christmas gift, and the much-needed company of those who understand what they are going through – with additional access to crucial long-term, wrap-around employment and housing support, to address the root causes of their difficulties, and enable the chances they deserve to thrive.

But we can’t do this alone.

Change Lives Today

You can join Aspire in being there for everyone who needs us this Christmas – and help us to ensure these people have not only a brighter Christmas, but a brighter outlook and future.

Donating  to our Christmas Appeal will enable the provision of places at the table of people in difficulty, training for formerly homeless people to progress into employment, and additional specialist support for vulnerable people to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness for good, and make lasting life change.

From fundraising  for us, becoming a partner  or Friend of Aspire , or spreading the word about the work we do in your communities, there are a variety of ways to help Aspire to transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable people across the county, through specialist and preventative training, activities and support across housing, employment and wellbeing.

“I know from my experience that it’s easy to get trapped in cycles of homelessness, and really hard to get out. Aspire helped me to get out of the cycle, find independent housing, and get back into work.”

Francesca, former Aspire Trainee

Find Out More

For more information about Aspire Oxford, the work we undertake across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and how you can make a difference in your community, visit our website   to explore our services – or email us at: info@aspireoxford.co.uk.

Find out more about Aspire by visiting aspireoxfordshire.org or on our Univ in the Community page.

Published: 17 December 2019

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