Oasis on the High Street

(Photo above shows the original Oasis shop back in 1983, and our current shop on Wallington highstreet.)

Julian Hawkins, Oasis Trustee, explains why we continue to see our physical presence on the high street as being central to the mission of Oasis. 

We have just renewed our shop lease and as in almost every other area of life right now, costs continue to climb, presenting us with an 11% increase in our rent bill. (We have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to help cover some of the £60,000 in rental costs we now face over the next three years - more detail here). 

The renewal of our shop lease is perhaps an opportune time to talk about why we continue to see our physical presence on the high street as being central to the mission of Oasis. 

The founders of Oasis, Peter and Mary Orpin, felt called to open a Christian Bookshop in Wallington, and on a mild Saturday morning in October 1983, the doors to Oasis were finally opened to the public in a shop at the corner of Wallington Square. A leaflet produced at the time listed some of the foundational reasons behind the opening the shop:

1. To show the compassion of Christ by personal contact in a Christian atmosphere;
2. To introduce the Gospel to people not contacted by Christian activities;
3. To present best-selling Christian books and materials for all ages;
4. To bridge barriers which exist between Christian groups and to promote the work of Christian congregations in Wallington and district.

We are pleased that forty-plus-years on, the Oasis Christian Bookshop in Wallington remains true to our mission of providing a physical presence of Jesus on the high street – enabling a wide audience to encounter Christ and access Bibles and other Christian books, cards and gifts. 

Of course we, like most other shops or services, have an online presence and it delights us that we are now able to reach individuals and communities across the full length and breadth of the country, fulfilling new customer needs from the north of Scotland to the south of Cornwall. 

While this digital outreach is important (and you may indeed be one of our valued customers in another part of the country), it does not diminish the importance of our physical presence in Wallington, Surrey.

High streets have long been the beating heart of towns and cities, offering more than just a place to shop. They are social, cultural, and economic hubs where people meet, exchange ideas, and support local livelihoods. A thriving high street contributes to a sense of community identity, fosters small business growth, and keeps money circulating within the local economy. Beyond commerce, high streets provide essential services—banks, pharmacies, post offices— along with face‑to‑face customer service and human interaction.

Our physical presence places a Christian voice firmly on the high street – enabling us to reach countless thousands of people who would otherwise not necessarily be served with Christian ‘content’ automatically by digital algorithm. As the founders of Oasis intended back in 1983, in our everyday ‘human interactions’ with customers, we aspire to show the compassion of Christ by personal contact in a Christian atmosphere; endeavouring to answer questions, offer suggestions, or otherwise help in ways which are not so easily transferable to the backlit screen on a phone. 

So yes, we have renewed our lease and remain committed to keeping Jesus on the high street! Regardless of whether you are local and come into our shop in Wallington, or visit our website from much further afield, we enormously value your continuing custom and support. Thank you once again from all at Oasis for helping us in our mission!