Hopes are high that three anti-drugs classrooms could be set up in Oxfordshire with the help of National Lottery cash.

Rotarians have just submitted a National Lottery bid for £116,000 which would allow three Life Education Centres to be set up in Oxfordshire.

They will find out whether the application has been successful in March.

The project, which has been backed by the Oxford Mail, aims to stop future generations being drawn into a life of drug addiction and crime.

Each mobile classroom, which will be staffed by a trained educator, will tour schools in the county teaching children about how their bodies work and encouraging them to make healthy choices.

It is estimated that at full stretch each classroom can touch the lives of 16,000 children each year. Michael Pooley, public relations officer for Life Education Centres Oxfordshire, a trust formed to get the project off the ground, said: "The moment we get the application approved, we can then employ and train an educator.

"If it's successful, we could start before the end of the year so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

"If we are not successful, the young children of Oxfordshire will have to wait longer for this essential community service."

Each hi-tech centre, which costs £58,000 to buy and £34,000 a year to run, offers annual visits to schools and aims to complement work being done by classroom teachers.

More than £44,000 has been raised from businesses, organisations and councils in Oxfordshire.

Story date: Wednesday 24 February

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