The organisation

Oxford Homeless Medical Fund was established in 1990, and operates in conjunction with Oxford Primary Care Trust. It provides high quality medical care, and welfare and support services to homeless people in Oxford, primarily from its Luther Street Medical Centre. The Centre has an award-winning approach to treating drug and alcohol addiction, and is one of just 15 centres in the UK – and the only one that deals solely with homeless people – to be specially funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to deal with crack cocaine addiction.

The programme

The building occupied by Oxford Homeless Medical Fund and Oxford Primary Care Trust was inadequate for its needs, and planning permission was granted to extend and adapt the building in order to improve conditions for its workers and provide additional facilities for its clients. Oxford Homeless Medical Fund needed to raise money to help carry out these building improvements.

How it fulfilled our aims as an organisation

Relevant to both the Health and Medicine and Social Welfare and Development sectors, this project is a good example of two organisations, namely Oxford Homeless Medical Fund and Oxford Primary Care Trust, working together to achieve positive health outcomes for homeless people. Access to healthcare is an important feature of an integrated approach to supporting homeless people and reducing exclusion.

How we helped

The Foundation contributed £20,000 towards this programme in 2004.