I heard that the Oasis cafe is to be turfed out as the church has promised the promises to a prayer group. www.thesanctuarycentre.org
They are rather pleased with themselves as they "have found a new home" as you can read on their website. Seems a rather un-Christian thing to do to effectively close down one of the very few places where adults with a variety of physical and mental disabilities can work. When I read the home page of their website I get the impression (as a non religious person myself) that they are rather extreme to say the least. Apparently Oasis have been offered alternative premises but the rent is huge and so unfeasible. Still, I am sure those who have benefited from working at the Oasis will be grateful that they are being prayed for!

djellworth wrote:


I think that's disgusting.

Why have they been turfed out?

According to the Oasis Cafe's website its supposed to be a joint venture between "Churches Together Ilkley" & Bradford College.
Oasis Cafe

(The Sanctuary people talk about fitting a kitchen into their new premises - has anybody told them, it has one of those already).

What's going on?

sounds like a breach of planning law unless they apply for change of use?

I too think it disgusting. I've had some very enjoyable afternoons at the Oasis with some very genuine people, equally the food they prepared. This new crew say they want to bless the local community. They can keep their blessings. I want none of them. They say they are living in Ilkley near Leeds, time to get the map and dictionary out , I can feel myself getting pedantic. As to 'Catching the Vision' the only vision I see is someone moving into an already viable unit with the grace of a money grabbing church. There's supposed to be a season of goodwill to all not far off. I don't see any goodwill here. Where ever the Oasis folk find another place, hopefully in town, they still have my support.

Hold on....

Are we sure the religious group are even aware that Oasis Cafe are being booted out....

And has the Oasis Cafe project simply come to an end, I belive this was a Bradford College course and this may have been hit by cuts. If the later is the case then the Church will need new tennants.....

baldybogey wrote:


Maybe? Who knows? Whatever, it seems to be very poor PR and news management on the part of All Saints Church.

As for 'The Sanctuary', I hope they don't bring their clap-happy missionary zeal to my doorstep. If they do they will get short thrift. If they are so concerned with the disadvantaged why can't they open their sanctuary in impoverished, inner-city Bradford instead of luxuriating in idyllic, leafy-lane Ilkley? Perhaps, and in spite of all their praying, God's sat nav has placed them a mite off course?

Well, the Church is certainly aware that the Oasis Cafe Project wish to stay there. You may have seen an article in the Gazzette a while ago stating their intention to expand the openng hours so that more folk could benefit from working at Oasis. As to the prayer group - I have no idea if they are aware of the knock-on impact of their new premises. From looking at their website it sems that they have prayed for a suitable venue - specifically in Ilkley - and god has listened and provided. Even as a committed church-goer myself I find their website rather creepy to say the least. If they did not know - fair enough - and I suspect they would re-consider if they did - or maybe ask god what he thinks is the right thing to do??

It would probably be helpful if some of the facts were shared regarding the Oasis Cafe.

All Saints' Church owns the Oasis Cafe and has leased the premises, on a peppercorn rent and no utility or rates costs, for two days per week to a joint cafe project run by Bradford Council and CTI2000 (a Churches Together in Ilkley initiative). All Saints' has been pleased to support the project for many years.

Around a year or so ago the project sadly came to an end when the project leader retired.

All Saints' was subsequently left with empty premises and so began a search to find a new Christian organization who would like to use the cafe.

The Sanctuary were offered use of the premises and duly accepted. The Sanctuary are leasing the premises for 6 days per week. With a start date in the spring of next year.

Quite some time after this offer was made and accepted the project leader of the cafe decided to come out of retirement and start the project up again. Unfortunately the church had already agreed the lease to The Sanctuary.

However,in order to continue supporting the cafe project the church offered them alternative accommodation but still within the same building (the cafe is just one of a series of rooms the church owns). The church has also offered, free of charge, to upgrade the facilities in the alternative accommodation for the cafe project.

Therefore the cafe project still continues and will go on.

Please understand that both CTI2000 and the church are united in their joint aims and both The Sanctuary and the cafe project are being catered for within All Saints' premises.

Rev Stuart Jenkins, chair of CTI2000, and myself have issued a joint statement to this effect. Part of it states quite clearly 'We do not want further concern to lead to upset or antagonism because we believe we are united in our overall aims......CTI2000 and All Saints' look forward to seeing the cafe projects flourish in the years ahead".

Hope this is helpful.

I am meeting Lee Townend soon and hope to have a chat with him about the situation at the Oasis Cafe at that stage. In the meantime I have been told about this forum and thought I'd throw in my sixpenn'th of hot air. I have a son with learning disabilities who has been a worker at the cafe and gained a lot from the experience. He met friends there, and was clearly happy to have a social 'profile' that gave him the sort of emotional confidence we all need. For me the basic questions are (1) Has anybody heard what the clients or users of the cafe think about this? I am talking about my son and his friends. I can tell you - they do not like the idea of losing the cafe. (2) No matter how crisply we can explain the present state of affairs - Oasis Club went through quiet time, decided to cease functioning, then support grew and was re-born but by then a new tenant had arrived and hey the Church has an obligation to balance the books which can outweigh a longstanding allegiance to a community group, so that's the deal folks it's just business - the simple fact remains: the Oasis Club will have nowhere to meet if this goes ahead and will very probably cease to function. That's surely something that nobody wants?

The barber reckons it's the church hall at the side of the church they've been offered. Is that right? Sounds like a fob off to me. Who would go in there except church ladies, certainly not the general public. And how many people could you fit in that kitchen? I've been to kids parties there and it's tiny

Can someone explain why the following article appeared in the Telegraph & Argus on 24th August 2011?
Oasis Cafe Back in Business

What sort of food does the Oasis cafe serve? I'd be interested to see a menu.

I love it that Ilkley is (usually) so good about supporting people with learning disabilities and it's good to see people being as independent as they can be around town. I thought oasis was open well before the summer holidays too, maybe the project got extended. I'm sure I went in in may?

Rev Lee Townend wrote:


Thank you for offering this explanation..... certainly sharing information (as long as it is appropriate to do so) is almost always helpful.

With that in mind, could you enlarge upon the previous offering by indicating the rationale for All Saints' support to the Sanctuary centre? You will have seen from some initial reactions that The Sanctuary comes across to some people as being rather over-pious, holier than thou, echoing Mormon and Jehova Witness type certainties with their 'prayerful' hotline to the Almighty.

Could you explain why, considering their rationale focuses so much upon 'the poor, broken, victims of injustice' that All Saints Ilkley should be the ideal (if not God-willed!) centre for their work........ rather than a poverty-ridden inner-city neighbourhood? How is this reconciled with their avowed commitment to "redressing imbalances between rich and poor"?

If All Saints is now commited to working with both groups, and since the cafe needs to attract 'passing trade', why not enable Oasis to continue in the location it previously occupied and contain the clappy happy brigade in the 'alternative' premises now being considered for Oasis? Many in the community would perhaps prefer more exposure of the former and much less exposure of the latter?

some good points Jasper!

What about condiments? HP/Heinz or own brand?