FAMILIES can take a trip down memory lane to celebrate a lesser known Oxford estate.

Members of the Donnington Neighbourhood Tenants and Residents Association (DNTRA) want to spark community spirit in the area which they say has dwindled over the years.

They are hosting a Big Family Fun event on Sunday, September 5, to encourage families to meet each other and make new links in the community.

Cecily Kirtland, from the DNTRA, said Donnington had struggled to find an identity in the community.

She said: “No one ever mentions the Donnington area – it’s always Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys or Barton.

“Donnington gets neglected and forgotten in any reports about poor and deprived areas of Oxford. We lose out on funds.”

The celebration will take place at the Donnington Doorstep, in Townsend Square, from 3-10pm.

Attractions include an African drumming display, two solar telescopes for visitors to look through, as well as games and refreshments.

Older residents will also be able to share their memories of the area from its early days.

Ms Kirtland is now planning a project where those who remember Donnington from years ago will be able to get together with younger people in the area and work on a joint arts project, made up of photographs and oral histories.

Former Oxford Mail journalist Wendy Hill, 66, who has lived in Donnington Bridge Road for 30 years, said: “We want to raise the profile of Donnington.

“It is now divided in two by Donnington Bridge Road, but the older tenants remember the old ferry.

She added: “The community now is quite varied, and has new challenges because there are people of so many different backgrounds.”