Manager George Bain is more than aware that Oasis falls far below the level of accommodation people have a right to expect. We need a place where people can have a decent bed and where there's space to spend a little time with them. But this is all we've got and we have to make do. But Bob Campbell, who's been on the streets for 15 months, says conditions at Oasis are so bad he wouldn't even keep animals there. Bob claims the hostel is so damp that if you leave a box of matches on the floor overnight, they'll be sodden and unusable by the morning.
Most guests have a history of drink and drug abuse and mental health problems.
Some claim there has been repeated violence between themselves and staff at the centre, and that intimidation is often used to keep order. George Bain emphatically denies such allegations. A lot of our clients are filled with rage, and we're the only people they've got to take it out on. We've hardly had any trouble considering the mixture of people that arrive. Others say they are uncomfortable with the hostel's overtly religious nature.