Our History
Founded by the All Saints Sisters of the Poor in 1986, The Porch has become a place of welcome, friendship and encouragement for hundreds of homeless men and women over the years.
The centre was run initially by volunteers at All Saints Convent in Magdalen Road. The project has since grown into an independent charity with its own staff. We are the only Oxford day centre open six days a week. We provide around 200 people a year with an opportunity to move towards a more positive lifestyle, away from addiction and dependency.
An innovation at the time that it was introduced by the founders was to include homeless users as members of the centre, in order to incorporate their views in decision making. This practice continues today making The Porch an exemplar for other day centres.
2007
The Bishop of Oxford becomes our Patron.
2013
The Food Standards Agency awards our two kitchens top 5 star rating. We win 12 first prizes at Elder Stubbs Festival for our allotment grown produce. Nicola our Porch Preserves volunteer is runner up Oxfordshire Volunteer of the Year.
2014
Our director wins an Oxfordshire High Sherriff Award for ‘commitment to ‘enabling homeless to get their foot on the first rung of the ladder out of dereliction, homelessness and unemployment’.
2016
We commemorate 30 years of helping the homeless.
2017
We are honoured with the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.
2018
Second High Sheriff Award. We also worked with Oxford’s Churches Together Winter Night Shelter project.
2019
We became a founder member of the Oxfordshire Homeless Movement, the coalition of homeless agencies in Oxford.
2020
Former Magdalen Road Church hall bought for The Porch with the support of All Saints Sisters of the Poor.
Day Centre and Service
01865 251798
Fundraising & Finance Enquiries
01865 728545
info@theporch.org.uk
Patron Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft
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