A LIFELINE has been thrown to the pioneering Pathway Workshop in Blackbird Leys that could spell the dawn of a new era for the charity.

For the past few years the future of the workshop in Dunnock Way has been precarious at best, with staff managing on a hand-to-mouth basis from grants and donations.

Now mental health care charity Response has stepped in with a plan of action to transform the company alongside Oxford ‘social business’ Thrive.

About 15 employees and volunteers with learning disabilities and mental health issues work at Pathway, creating high-end handcrafted furniture from recycled wood.

Chairman of trustees Bill Patterson said: “Although we have a big site, Pathway is a small charity. There used to be supported employment, which was a big amount of revenue, which disappeared last October.

“We have been battling for years and we could have given it up, but none of us have wanted to go down that route. We have always felt it was worth fighting for.”

Response is based in Littlemore but is already moving some staff into office space at Pathway ahead of a planned back-office merger, with Thrive handling the PR.

It has asked for a new 10-year lease on the Dunnock Way building, which will be decided on by Oxford City Councillors on Thursday, February 11.

John McLaughlin, chief executive of Response, said: “Pathway have committed all along to keeping the guys employed and paying them a living wage.

“They survived for the past five years on donations but have been looking at options going forward.

“We agreed to help around back-room work, finance and business development. There’s a five-year lease left on the building and we want some security if we invest.”

Pathway Workshop has already made new desks for Response employees on the site and, if all goes to plan, could also construct garden furniture and tables for Response’s supported housing units around Oxford.

About 15 per cent of Response employees are from Blackbird Leys and its home care section is expanding by 20 per cent per year.

Mr McLaughlin added: “We are in it for the long haul. If you have been to Pathway you can’t fail to be impressed by the building and what they do.

“They haven’t had the expertise around contracts and marketing, but they do such a good job working with vulnerable adults and we want to expand that.”

In the future the workshop could also be opened up to other disadvantaged people, such as former prison inmates, people recovering from addiction and refugees.

Recent work on the site has included a bench made from trees felled at the Westgate site, and a memorial bench for Leys councillor Val Smith, who died last year.

Thrive managing director Rick Mower said: “We are bringing the brand development, sales and marketing and talking to national retailers about items we can make.

“Oxford is a massive market and we want to sell the kinds of things that people in Jericho want to buy, really beautiful furniture lines.”

A report on the proposed new lease is recommended for approval and will be decided on by the council’s City Executive Board this Thursday.