MORE children around the county are set to get free sports sessions this year thanks to a local charity.

Sport for Streets has been holding weekly sessions in Yarnton over the winter, giving children the chance to try out more unusual sports such as hockey and roller-blading.

The Woodstock-based charity started a new 24-week course in October last year after a £5,000 grant was provided by local businesses.

Coaches have also worked with youngsters in Cutteslowe and Witney, but now they are are working with other Oxfordshire councils to introduce more sessions.

These could include Didcot and Wantage, but charity manager Dave Edwards said it would depend on district councils and other groups helping with funding.

He said: “In the climate that we are in a lot of projects are treated as short-term.

“What we try to do is make sure we offer a strong project which young people can engage with, and the possibility of it becoming more long-term.

“We do know that lots of cuts are being made around the county – youth services are being decimated and children’s centres will be wiped off the map.

“For services like ours the future is very uncertain, but we are quite fortunate that we have a robust business plan so are likely to ride it out.”

Last summer the charity held sessions for local children in Yarnton Park, but were forced to stop until businesses came forward with funding.

About 20 children have been attending the sessions, run by Mr Edwards and three other coaches, each week.

Yarnton Parish Council chairman Fred Jones praised the work of the charity, and added that the council had spent years trying to introduce more activities for young people.

Indoor sessions are also run at the Royal British Legion club in Rutten Lane, opposite the park, which the staff hope will help develop a long-term youth club.

Woodstock resident Mr Edwards said: “The sessions have been really good so far, our aim has been to engage more with local people which has been successful.

“When we eventually finish delivering the sessions there will be a venue for people to be able to set up a youth club, so when our funding stops there will be something left behind.

“We understand there will be a knock-on effect with the cuts, but we are quietly confident that we will see more success.”

It comes days after millions of pounds of cuts to council services were agreed, including the possible closure of children’s centres.

The sessions run every Tuesday evening from 7pm to 8.30pm in Yarnton Park.