DISABLED people across the county have been given a “lifeline” thanks to a grant by the Oxford Mail’s owners.

Oxfordshire Crossroads received £25,300 from the Gannett Foundation, a charitable arm of the 0’s parent company, in 2009 to buy a van.

The vehicle was converted so wheelchair users and their families could use it for anything from hospital visits to holidays.

Now the charity is encouraging other organisations to apply for donations from the foundation before the Friday, October 21, deadline.

Development manager Shaun Proszer said: “The donation has been a lifeline for many people with mobility problems to be able to get out and experience things other people take for granted.”

The van can be booked out by members of the public and has space for one wheelchair and four passengers. It also includes a winch and a ramp.

Mr Proszer said: “A recent example of how it has been used is by a woman whose husband was being treated locally with a head injury. He had not been home for a year and a half and he was able to go home and see his young son because of the vehicle.”

He added: “If you cannot take your partner out or go to see your family, with that van suddenly you can and that is life changing. People get quite emotional about it.”

Oxfordshire Crossroads has been running for more than 30 years and provides care for adults and children across the county. It helps people in their own homes so they can remain as independent as possible.

Mr Proszer said the charity had applied for the Gannett grant after their old vehicle started to wear out.

He said: “When I saw the Gannett Trust, we took a punt and it came up trumps.

“We are eternally grateful to Gannett and, if it is for the benefit of the wider community’s need, I would absolutely encourage others to apply for the grant.”

Gannett’s grants, which have totalled more than £4m in the UK alone, are designed to support projects that benefit a broad section of the population or lead to a lasting, positive effect for the community.

Organisations applying must be registered charities and the Gannett Foundation encourages applications from imaginative and ambitious projects that require and merit awards of between £5,000 and £10,000.

Awards will not be given to national charities or organisations that have received a Gannett grant within the last two years. State or privately-run schools, hospitals, animal charities, political or religious causes and day-to-day running costs are also excluded.

For more information and for an application form go to oxfordmail.co.uk/news/community/gannettfoundation