Oasis Community Hub: Ashburton Park Charity Iftar

This Ramadan, we had the pleasure of hosting our first Oasis Hub Iftar for students and their families. It was a special evening that brought our students, staff and families together, connecting over food and shared experience.

Our school community, made up of people from many different backgrounds, faiths and cultures, did what we do best. We came together.

We held this Iftar in honour of Hamed, a much-loved Year 11 student who was involved in a serious accident earlier this year and remains in a coma. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him and his family. When we learned how much Ramadan meant to him, we wanted to do something meaningful in his name.

In Islam, there is a concept called Sadaqah Jariyah (ongoing charity), whereby you can do good on behalf of someone else so that they may receive the reward. So, in this spirit, we raised nearly £900 for UNICEF’s Gaza Appeal. This was a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the generosity within our community.

We are incredibly grateful to the local businesses who supported the event and helped make the evening possible, as well as to our students and staff who contributed their time and effort.

There’s something powerful about seeing a community come together—not just in conversation, but in action.

This week at Ashburton Park, we had one of those moments.

Teams from InfraRed Capital Partners, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), Oasis, and Croydon Council came together for a hands-on day of building, digging, and creating. Side by side, with spades in hand and plenty of energy, we worked together to construct six new raised beds as part of our growing food project.

It was more than just a practical task. It was a picture of what partnership can look like at its best.

Every child deserves the chance to flourish. Every young person carries innate potential, even if sometimes their circumstances make it harder for them to see and unlock. This reality is the heartbeat of our Prevention Programme at one of our Oasis Academies, a programme that is building bridges between the challenges young people face and the opportunities they need to thrive.

This year’s end of year report tells a story of hope, struggle, progress, and resilience. It’s not a neat tale tied up with a bow. Real life never is. But it is a story of young people moving in the right direction, of communities rallying around them, and of the power of partnership to change lives.

This week has been one to remember for the Oasis family in Croydon. On Monday, 13th October, we opened the doors to our brand-new Oasis Community Space at Oasis Academy Arena — a vibrant, welcoming hub designed to bring local families, young people, and community partners together under one roof.

It’s time to build the bridge.