Mike Hall was a charismatic figure who had ambitious ideas on how to relieve the plight of homeless people. He played a major part – indeed for many years the major part – in the development of the Oxford Cyrenians, but not from the very beginning.
The Oxford Simon Group (later Cyrenians) began in 1967 and opened the night shelter by the railway station that was mentioned in Mike’s obituary. In 1970 the organisation then bought a property in north Oxford, which was called Cyrox House.
I joined the group in 1968 and worked at the night shelter. Then, after a short gap, I moved in to open Cyrox House. When I left to do some training in 1972, Mike took my place. He was then free to develop his ideas for expanding the Cyrenians’ activities, which included pushing through, with great energy and commitment, the planning and design of the substantial Simon House hostel in the centre of Oxford.
To persuade the planners and the council of Oxford to shift from hostility to support of his ideas was his outstanding achievement.
