ACTIVE young people on an Oxford estate held a football tournament and barbecue to toast a grant from the city council.

Wood Farm Youth Club was given a grant of almost £1,000 to put on a daily programme of sports and events for 11 to 18-year-olds over the current school holiday.

The fortnight-long programme, which continues this week, features traditional sports like football and golf, as well as inflatable games and a rope-swing course.

Simon Edmondson, a youth worker on the estate, said: "We are here at the youth club all year round but now we have received funding from the city council to put on holiday provisions.

"It has worked out really well and paid for extra tuition and the activities, as well as the barbecue.

"We have had 30 young people here every day and absolutely everybody is welcome - the feedback from the kids has been really positive.

"They absolutely love it up here. We're lucky in Wood Farm to have the youth club, which has only been here a year, and they turn up day in, day out - they would be here 24 hours a day if they could."

Mr Edmondson praised the work of the estate's city council street wardens in getting young people into organised activities and Peter Bonney, the chairman of Churchill Tenants' and Residents' Association, for organising last Friday's barbecue. He said: "Everyone has been a great help, giving up lots of their time to make this a massive success.

This week's activities included an introduction to golf at Southfield Golf Club yesterday.

There is a girls' and young women night group tonight, games with giant inflatables on Wednesday, while on Thursday a group will travel to a high-ropes course in Milton Keynes. On Friday another football tournament brings down the curtain on the programme.

Wood Farm youth centre, in Titup Hall Drive, runs evening activities from Monday to Thursday each week.

To find out more, visit the centre, call Mr Edmondson on 01865 762982 or email simon.edmondson@oxfordshire.gov.uk