Victoria Armstrong
2015 Community Award Winner

Victoria came to Manchester as a student in the early 1990s and settled in Gorton. She was shocked by the levels of poverty and deprivation around her and scared by the amount of abuse and aggression she experienced as an outsider. Her response? “if you see somebody who hasn’t had a good start in life, suffering abuse, neglect or poverty, you must get involved.” She started by providing a hot meal one day a week for local people.

In 2001 she established The Oasis project, providing a lifeline for families on benefits, long term unemployed, asylum seekers and refugees, homeless people, ex-offenders and those struggling with addiction or mental illness. Since 2001 over 1,500 individuals /families have benefitted. She is now fundraising to build a purpose built day centre.