Oxford United Men’s Team players Sam Long and Simon Eastwood visited Homeless Oxfordshire’s Sapling project this week, as the Club and our Principal Partner Baxi showed support for the vital homelessness and recovery service.
The Sapling project, based near the former site of the Manor Ground, provides supported accommodation for people in Oxford who are experiencing homelessness and have completed residential rehabilitation for drug and/or alcohol dependency.
Operated by Homeless Oxfordshire, the county’s largest not-for-profit provider of supported accommodation, the project offers structure, stability, and a pathway towards independence for individuals whose lives have often been shaped by trauma and disadvantage.
During their visit, Long and Eastwood spent time listening to residents’ stories and learning about the challenges they have faced, as the Club reinforced its commitment to supporting Homeless Oxfordshire during its winter appeal.
As part of their ongoing community support, Baxi also made a donation directly to the Sapling project.
The rate of people becoming homeless in Oxfordshire has more than doubled since 2021, and in March 2025 there were 13,000 households on the waiting list for social housing in the county.
Sam Long said: “Meeting the people at Sapling was a really powerful experience. Hearing their journeys shows just how important these projects are in Oxford.
“Being from the city, this resonates even more with me. It’s fantastic to see amazing people at charities like Homeless Oxfordshire going above and beyond to give others a second chance in life.”
Simon Eastwood added: “It was really inspiring to meet the people at Sapling. The support they receive from people like John, who looks after the residents, is so heart-warming.
“Sam and I are really grateful for the opportunity to visit and to help shine a light on the project and the charity’s work across the county.”
Simon Hewett-Avison, CEO at Homeless Oxfordshire, said: "We're so grateful for this show of support from Oxford United Football Club, especially as we launch our winter appeal. There are lots of OUFC fans at our Sapling Project, so it meant a lot to everyone that Sam and Simon took the time to listen to their personal stories. We'd also like to thank Baxi for their very kind and unexpected donation to the project."
John Sugden, Housing & Resettlement Worker at Homeless Oxfordshire's Sapling Project, added: “We were very glad to welcome Sam and Simon to Sapling last week. We hugely appreciated their visit, and we hope this helps with raising awareness of the challenges our residents are facing.”
