A CENTRE offering computer lessons to hundreds of people on an Oxford estate has been saved thanks to a slice of a £225,000 grant.

The cash has also boosted the long-term future of two other adult learning centres in the city - and could spark the scheme's expansion into new areas.

Residents feared the worst when funding for the Barton ICT and Learning Communities Hub ran out.

But managers failed to give up hope and persuaded bosses at Barton Neighbourhood Centre to give them extra time before evicting them from the building in Underhill Circus.

And three weeks later, the facility won a last-minute stay of execution by securing £5,000 cash to extend the lease - and a further £220,000 for the long-term future of the scheme across the city.

Jim Barlow, project manager of Oxford Learning Communities, said it had been a close call.

Mr Barlow said: "It is very good news. It has been a bit touch and go - obviously things cannot run on thin air.

"The community association were very good - they were holding on but obviously they have got a building to run and need the income to pay the bills."

Mr Barlow said the £220,000 would be used to boost the long-term future of the city's two other centres in Blackbird Leys and Rose Hill. And the programme could be extended to other estates in Oxford such as Wood Farm and Northway.

The centres were launched to give residents the chance of passing qualifications in subjects ranging from maths to film-making to tackle low-skilled or low-paid employment.

Barton mother-of-four Judy Thompson, a volunteer at the Hub, collected a 100-signature petition supporting the centre.

The 31-year-old, from Stowford Road, said: "It is brilliant. It is very important because it has really given people a positive way of climbing up the ladder, especially people on a low income."

The three centres, which operate under the banner of Learning Communities and are controlled by Oxfordshire County Council, offer tuition in a range of subjects.

The council has negotiated a further 12 months' funding with Seeda - worth £220,000 - and also pledged £5,000 of its own.

Irene Kirkman, assistant head of the Raising Achievement Service, said: "We will still have an issue as regards the long-term future of this IT hub and we will try to work on that in the time we have now secured ourselves."