A NEW garden at an Oxford homeless charity has been opened to the public.

The Gatehouse, in Woodstock Road, is based in the parish rooms of St Giles Church but has recently overhauled the space between it and the main church.

Centre volunteer Kat Horne hoped the garden, which opened on Sunday, would encourage more people to visit.

She said: “What we had was just a bit of desolate area. We wanted to have a space that both people at the Gatehouse and the public could use.

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“It will be open to everyone, with lots of lovely wooden benches to sit on and greenery too, like the vines we will be growing up the pagoda.

“We hope in the spring and summer it will be a spot where visitors can come and relax and where the people we help can feel valued.”

The Gatehouse runs a drop-in cafe for over-25s on Mondays to Fridays from 5pm to 7pm and on Sundays from 4pm to 6pm. The cafe provides people with tea, coffee, sandwiches, fruit and cake, as well as home-made soup in the winter.

A clothes store is open from 6pm to 6.30pm and the centre also runs an advice service.

Volunteers are needed to help run the centre and it is also always in need of food donations, or other items which can be reused.

City councillor Liz Wade said the revamped garden would create a new “tranquil space”.

She said: “The garden is intended equally for Gatehouse users and for members of the public, and has been carefully designed to make the most out of what was previously a barren piece of ground.

“It will add considerably to the area and many residents will enjoy it.

“We have very few public spaces in the centre of Oxford, so this little garden will be much appreciated.”

This year The Gatehouse will be giving its guests Christmas presents in the form of parcels containing a hat, scarf, gloves, socks, underwear and chocolate.

It will be open over the Christmas and new year period, except for Christmas Day itself.

  • For more information, call the Gatehouse during its opening hours on 01865 792 999 or visit oxfordgatehouse.org


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