GOOD causes in Oxfordshire are going head to head to win thousands of pounds of National Lottery cash.

Schemes to redevelop the Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground (BLAP) and Carterton town centre will face a public vote to see which of the two projects will receive the windfall.

Organisers from both projects applied to the People's Millions section of the Big Lottery Fund for good causes earlier this year, and both have been named among eight finalists in the Thames Valley region.

Two finalists will make televised appeals on the ITV Thames Valley programme each night from Monday, November 26, to Thursday, November 29.

Viewers will pick out one winner per night to receive Lottery funding, and the runner-up with the highest number of votes will also win cash for their project at the end of the week.

BLAP and the Carterton Fast Forward Project feature in the second programme, on Tuesday, November 27.

Appeals by 22nd Oxford Sea Scouts - who want to install an electric lift at Farmoor reservoir - and Bicester Athletic club will air in the same week.

The winners will be announced the day after they appear on the show.

Alston Quammie, project leader for BLAP, in Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys, said he had applied for £79,000 to renovate a play area and improve security for the play-ground.

He said staff had repeatedly picked up beer bottles and condoms from the play area because local youths were climbing over a one-metre perimeter fence.

The youths have vandalised play equipment, and a large blackbird climbing frame had been out of action for three months because it had had pieces broken off it.

Mr Quammie said: "The whole play area could do with a revamp. I am quite confident.

"This scheme is something that will benefit not only Blackbird Leys, but Oxford as a whole."

Maxine Crossland, deputy mayor of Carterton, said the project had applied for £38,000 to help the town get rid of its "ugly" image.

If they are successful, the Carterton Fast Forward project would spend their cash on repaving Tower Square, in Alvescot Road, to provide a meeting place for townsfolk.

Ms Crossland added: "The money would make a huge difference - a huge number of people would benefit from it.

"It is literally right in the heart of the town and at the moment it is not a very attractive place."

Viewers will be given the numbers to call to vote for the projects they want to win at the end of each show.