Welcome from our Founder

When I started Oasis back in 1985, I had no idea it would grow into the wonderful family of charities that it has become today.

In Oasis Community Learning, we are one of the country’s largest providers of academy schools, educating over 32,000 children and young people every year. Through Oasis Community Housing, we provide housing for vulnerable young people. With Oasis Community Partnerships we run social projects – from community farms and coffee houses to churches and children’s centres – and much more besides. We do this in communities as diverse as Gateshead in the North East to Bristol in the South West. And through Oasis Restore, another part of Oasis, we aim to transform the lives of young offenders by running the country’s first ever secure school, with a key focus on holistic care and education.

So, the question is…why?

Not only do we believe everyone in our family should receive the very best formal education, but also that there is more to a healthy life and future than simply the knowledge they hold. Every one of us is a product of the community we live in. That is why we are passionate that every community served by one of our academies should be a happy, healthy place where every person is included and valued, and can thrive and achieve their full, God-given potential. That is why Oasis’ vision not only aims to deliver exceptional education, but also to help build great local inclusive neighbourhoods.

We are motivated by our core Christian ethos which means that we believe every person – those of all faiths or none – are equally valuable and have a part to contribute in helping this vision become a reality. Helping a young person realise who they are meant to be is about more than simply the qualifications they get or the job they want; it’s about how they see themselves and those around them. It’s about understanding the role they have as active citizens in our shared world. That’s why Oasis’ goal is to help every young person achieve their best, respect themselves, value those around them and contribute to the good of all.

We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into an Oasis academy in order to experience this for yourself.

Steve Chalke, MBE

Founder, Oasis