GIFT AID - Justgiving are now agents for collecting Gift Aid for Oasis (from 20.12.24) For donations made before this date we need the form in the link below completed and returned to finance@oasisplay.org.uk so we can claim GIFT AID retrospectively from HMRC.

https://oasisplay.org.uk/form_download/charity-gift-aid-declaration-single-donation/

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT

As funding bodies have been closing and donations get harder to secure, Oasis has found itself with a huge deficit this financial year. This means that unless we can raise the money to stay afloat until April 2025, we will need to close with immediate effect.

ABOUT OASISPLAY

Oasisplay has four sites: a Nature Garden, a youth led Go Kart Track and two amazing Adventure Playgrounds, catering for children from birth to 18 years of age, or 25 years for disabled people. Oasis has been part of the local community for 50 years.

WHAT WE DO

Each year we provide over 2000 hours of free inclusive environmental play sessions, adventure play sessions, karting and mechanics sessions, holiday playschemes, day trips, community events, educational sessions and youth leadership opportunities.

As well as the face to face work that we do with children and young people, we do multiple side projects such as hosting a food hub once a week at each site, applying for and dispensing free tickets to events and attractions in London and supporting families in crisis.

We welcome 1000 disabled and non disabled children and young people a year in one of the most deprived communities in Lambeth. Through innovative and physically active services, our work provides vital diversionary, cohesion, learning, health and wellbeing opportunities for local children and young people.

We have a fantastic team of disabled and non disabled trained playworkers and offer volunteering opportunities to over 15’s, as well as members of the local community. The majority of our staff live in Lambeth and many went to Oasis as children.

THE CHILDREN WE WORK WITH

90% are disadvantaged

80% are from ethnic minorities

90% live with poverty, overcrowding and chaotic home lives

60% are at risk of school exclusion

50% are at risk of gang involvement and criminal activity

70% experience poor mental health and wellbeing

While we are open access and families and children self refer, many children are referred from local authority teams such as social services, Youth Offending services, Multi Agency Teams, local schools and community organisations.

We also provide a hub for community activities including community lunches, Forest School Foragers - an under 5s group - and activity sessions for local schools.

WHY WE NEED SUPPORT

Our services are in higher demand than ever. The long term impact of the pandemic combined with the cost of living crisis has significantly affected the poverty, mental health and vulnerability of our service users. The effect on our community will be long term and far reaching. Alongside this, other local provision has shrunk following years of scaling back and closures.

It is well known that children and young people who are involved in youth services, and therefore off the streets, are less likely to be involved in gangs and criminal activity. Adverse Childhood Experiences are common amongst many of the children who attend Oasis; these lead to significantly poorer health and social outcomes, but the effects can be buffered by having access to trusted adults, positive experiences and community involvement. Oasis is also a place where safeguarding concerns which might otherwise slip through the net can, and regularly are, picked up.

Unfortunately Oasisplay has not been immune to the tough economic climate and we too have had to scale back significantly in the last 2 months, despite intense need. We are determined that this is a temporary measure and with your support we will not only be able to save Oasis from complete closure, but also bring back all of the services that we have recently cut.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Please donate to our fundraising appeal, and then spread the word.

£10 will pay for one child to attend an After School Club at the playground

£50 will pay for three children to attend a Saturday Club at the playground

£100 will pay for petrol and spare parts for two weeks of Karting sessions at the Kart Track

£150 will pay for an under 5’s Forest School Foragers session at the Nature Garden

£250 will pay for a kart maintenance and mechanics session for young people at the Kart Track

OUR TARGETS

£60,000 will fill this year’s shortfall, allowing us to stay open until April.

£100,000 will allow us to keep the sites open until August 2025 for the use of paying groups and any specific projects that we can get funding for.

£150,000 will give us enough to reinstate some of the services that we have cut and keep afloat until August 2025, giving us time to secure more funding.

We are making a robust financial plan for the future, including significant cost cutting measures. We continue to explore all possible funding options and are in talks with Lambeth Council about how they may be able to help us to keep this vital service open.

We know that with the support of the community Oasisplay will survive the current situation.

Get in touch: save@oasisplay.org.uk