Oxford charities are urging employers to hire people who are homeless, refugees or suffer from mental health problems.

The Potential@Work campaign says many of these people make the best workers because of their resilience and toughness in dealing with their problems.

Buses in Oxford will soon be emblazoned with the campaign’s logo, urging employers to re-examine their preconceptions.

The chief executive of Oxford Homeless Pathways, which runs the Oxford Night Shelter, Lesley Dewhurst, said: “If you ask the majority of people who are homeless if they are interested in working, you will get a resounding ‘Yes’.

“It gives them self-esteem, confidence, and status – the money really is the least of it.

“Unfortunately many empl-oyers will make assumptions that they will be untrustworthy, unreliable or have substance misuse problems.

“In fact, many are more reliable and more trustworthy because they have worked so hard to get there.”

Richard Green, operations director of scientific instrument manufacturer FMB Oxford, took on a formerly homeless employee seven weeks ago.

He said: “We considered it to be a fairly risky option.

“We had all sorts of preconceptions about someone who was homeless or had an unstable background.

“In fact, he was very enthusiastic and made a lot of effort in how he presented himself.

“He has proven absolutely excellent, and fitted in really well with the rest of the team. He is motivated and resourceful.”

Bruce Gorrie, 43, of Cowley Road, Oxford, has suffered from bi-polar disorder since the age of 15.

After a high-flying career at the Department for Education, the illness took its toll and he was given medical retirement.

He said: “I have extreme swings in mood, in my case happening over the course of a day. I literally go from being ecstatic to suicidal within hours.

“I would have hallucinations, a huge amount of energy, and indulge in reckless behaviour. Most people do not understand exactly what it is. They tend to be afraid of it because they don’t understand it.”

At his lowest ebb, he spent two years in the Warneford Hospital undergoing psychiatric treatment.

He said: “It affects every aspect of life. It damages your social confidence and you do not think you are going to work again.

“The most difficult thing at that time was there was no rehabilitation or training. It was one size fits all.”

After finding a GP who gradually reduced his levels of medication, he became determined to get back into work.

“It was frightening but exciting to go back into work,” he said.

“I was coming up to 40, and I didn’t want to get to 45 and still be unemployed. I felt it was something I had to do.”

For the last year, he has worked as a mental health first aid coordinator for local charity Restore, assessing the immediate psychiatric needs of people in emergency situations. His aim now is to move into policy areas of mental health.

“It’s given me back everything: Value, dignity, worth, purpose and friends,” he said.

The initiative is being run by Aspire, Oxford Homeless Pathways, Refugee Resource, and Restore.