ENGLAND’S manager Roy Hodgson will be the guest of honour at a gala dinner to launch the Oxford United Community Trust.

The football club has announced that after a year of planning it will set up a new charity to promote sport, health, education and training in Oxford.

The community trust will launch at the Kassam Stadium on October 29 with a “star-studded” evening of entertainment and fundraising, where signed football boots from some of the world’s top players will be available to buy.

Club chief executive Mark Ashton said: “When the chairman (Darryl Eales) and I came into the club last summer we did so with a very clear set of objectives to take Oxford United forward both on and off the pitch.

“We’re going to be announcing a number of new, exciting initiatives at the gala dinner which I have no doubt will be a great charity fundraiser for local communities.

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“One of the pillars of the club is community work, the club has always had a community trust but that was part of the national footballing community scheme which did a lot of good.

“But as Oxfordshire has more than 600,000 people and one professional football club, we believe the football club have a responsibility to do more work with our communities.

“The dinner party is to launch the trust while at the same time raising funds and we are delighted that Roy is attending, he is close friends with manager Michael Appleton.”

Operations director for the trust Caroline Robbins said the attendance of the England manager underlined how big the event was.

She said the charity would offer county-wide coaching for girls and women, internships to get people with mental health problems back into work, apprenticeships for Abingdon and Witney College students and “walking football” for the elderly.

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Oxford United chief executive Mark Ashton

Miss Robbins added that initial coaching sessions have been planned for Oxford, Bicester and Witney but more sessions are in the pipeline for Banbury and other areas.

She said: “Everyone has to understand that the community is at the heart of what we are trying to do.

“The community trust is a charity that aims not just to inspire our fans, their families and their friends, but everyone in Oxfordshire.

“We’ve got big plans for the community trust, and have already put significant funds into it.

“But we need more. We need to keep filling the coffers.

“On October 29 people will have the chance to contribute, and enjoy a night to remember while they’re doing it.”

  • Tickets have not yet been put on sale, however anyone with further enquires can contact 01865 337502.