A BANK has stepped in to fund therapy and support for refugees in Oxfordshire for the next three years.

Refugee Resource – the county's only specialist provider of support services for asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants - has been awarded a £75,000 grant by the Lloyds Bank Foundation.

It comes after the charity saw a 25 per cent increase in the need for its services over the past year.

The organisation offers a range of services to people tackling post-traumatic stress, isolation, and other challenges connected to being forced to move from their home country.

They also run workshops and programmes to help build social links and skills as refugees settle into life in the UK.

The grant will contribute to the charity’s core costs, in particular the rent for their space in The Old Music Hall, Cowley Road.

Kate Hood, chief executive said: “We are delighted to be starting a new partnership with Lloyds Bank Foundation, who are very progressive in their thinking around their support for local charities; they recognise the critical need for our work in an environment where local services are increasingly over-stretched and charities are having to step into the gap to support the most vulnerable people.

"They also are keen to fund core costs which are vital to keeping smaller organisations like ours afloat.”