Offers of help have flooded in after an Oxford social club for elderly people closed through lack of funding and support.

Organisations have pledged their backing for Oxford Pensioners' Club after reading about its plight in last Thursday's Oxford Mail.

Last week we told how Fred Ingram, 91, and wife Liz had run the club for 31 years.

Since then 10 organisations have approached the former Gloucester Green-based club, which entertained hundreds of elderly people over 35 years.

The Oxford Irish Society contacted us to offer to join forces with the club.

The 300-strong society, which runs its own monthly group for Irish pensioners, said it wanted to help them carry on their work.

Secretary Bernie Downes said: "We saw the article in the Mail and thought it was a shame the club was closing.

"We have been looking for premises for eight years and thought we could do each other a favour.

"We've got the younger helpers the club needs, would share the bills and we'd only need to use the building during the evenings." The Oxford Mail contacted Mr and Mrs Ingram to tell them about the offer.

Former Lord Mayor of Oxford Mr Ingram said: "This may be the miracle we have been looking for.

"I vowed to carry on and hope this may be the start of a new project."

The Ingrams said they were overwhelmed with offers and thanked the Oxford Mail for its help.

The couple, of Saunders Road, Oxford, said the Royal British Legion Hall, in Marston, and the Archway project, in Pembroke Street, Oxford, were among others pledging support.

An anonymous Berkshire woman also offered a £2,500 donation.

Oxford Pensioners' Club closed after the Ingrams failed to secure the £40,000 and six workers needed to keep it open for another year.