Steve Chalke MBE, author, speaker, TV and radio presenter, businessman, social entrepreneur, husband and father, began public life as a Baptist Minister being ordained in 1981.
In 1985 he founded the Oasis Charitable Trust with a vision to build inclusive communities, where everyone has hope, feels that they matter and is given the opportunity to achieve their God-given potential. Oasis pioneers life-transforming housing, healthcare, education, church, youth and community initiatives around the UK and across the world.
Oasis believes that individuals can only truly thrive when their community flourishes around them, so it works in ‘community hubs’ to provide a range of integrated and high quality services that support people holistically; educationally, physically, socially, spiritually, emotionally, economically and environmentally. Oasis has now developed into a movement of many thousands of people, working in ten countries around the world, who are all committed to this goal.
Some key developments to date, that Steve has initiated and is still very much involved with, are: –
Oasis Community Learning, has opened twenty-six primary, sixteen secondary and two all-through schools around the UK and is committed not only to education but also to holistic community regeneration.
Oasis College of Higher Education, in partnership with Staffordshire University, is committed to equipping and resourcing students with the skills, knowledge and understanding to improve the quality of life for children, young people, families and their communities.
Oasis Church, Waterloo, in Central London was the first of a new network of UK churches including those in Bristol, Croydon, Enfield, Grimsby, Salford and Southampton.
Stop The Traffik, a global coalition working in nearly 100 countries and with tens of thousands of activists around the world. It campaigns to end people trafficking through preventing the sale of people, prosecuting the traffickers and protecting the victims. Steve is a UN GIFT Special Advisor for Community Action against Human Trafficking.
People’s Parliament, which creates a place of debate, discussion, interaction and partnership for voluntary organisations with the aim of building more effective relationships between government and the third sector. People’s Parliament particularly focusses on the role of the Church and other faith groups in public life, service delivery and social justice.