ON Christmas Day, at Simon House hostel in Oxford, 40 homeless residents will gather for lunch.

Run by housing provider A2 Dominion, the centre has been open since 1980.

But 2019 will bring a major change for the homeless people Simon House supports, as services are relocated to Cowley.

A2Dominion is building bespoke supported accommodation next to the John Allen Centre in Cowley.

Managers are welcoming the backing of Oxfordshire Community Foundation’s Christmas Match Fund.

In a campaign to combat rough sleeping, backed by the Oxford Mail, the OCF is working with Oxford Poverty Action Trust to provide financial backing for nine beneficiaries, including Simon House.

Charitable trust OCF will give £1 for every £1 donated via OxPAT’s website, or city centre collection boxes, with OCF matching donations up to £50,000. Organisations are hopeful the campaign could raise a total of £100,000.

Jayne Woodley, chief executive of OCF, said earlier: “The disturbing sight of people sleeping on the streets is just the tip of the iceberg. We believe everyone deserves the dignity of a place to call home.”

Simon House in Paradise Street started out by offering people a bed and a meal before developing a range of classes and volunteering opportunities.

A2 Dominion’s new facility in Rymers Lane, Cowley, will provide 22 units of complex needs accommodation with staff onsite 24 hours a day, with a further 15 units of move-on accommodation for people with low support needs. Managers say the new accommodation is expected to be ready for people to move into in June.

Pam Vasir, group director of Supported Housing at A2Dominion, said earlier: “We are delighted that Oxford City Council has agreed funding to keep Simon House open while we build a replacement facility for Oxford’s homeless.

"The new facility will allow us to provide support services and move-on accommodation to help people back into the community.

“In the meantime, we will continue to provide services for Oxford’s homeless people at Simon House.”

Last month the city council, which has won £1m from the Government’s Rough Sleeper initiative, to provide extra beds this winter and next, pledged to seek funding to ensure winter-long beds were provided for all rough sleepers by next winter.

And a group of churches in the city are offering additional support.

From New Year until the end of March, 12 different churches will work together to provide 20 beds a night in church premises.

The council is also working with OCF and local homelessness organisations to develop a rough sleeping partnership.

You can make a Christmas Match Fund donation to OxPAT on the Charities Aid Foundation website HERE