STAFF at the beleaguered Dovecote Project in Greater Leys are trying to stay positive in the face of a looming funding crisis that could result in it closing.

The centre in Nightingale Avenue is praying for a miracle after failing to win the £50,000 it needs to keep running in a TV competition earlier this year.

While it is hoped that a grant may be secured from Blackbird Leys Parish Council, centre worker Kayleigh Shaw said staff were "playing it by ear" but keeping busy.

She said: "Nothing has been set in stone, but we have just had our two-week Easter playscheme and it was really successful. "Twenty-four kids came along to the playscheme and five went on the narrowboat. We were full."

For the first time in its 21-year history the Dovecote Project is facing the prospect of closure in December as regular grant funding for its running costs has dried up.

It is the only provider of after-school activities for children under eight in the Leys. About 10 to 12 youngsters regularly attend the after-school club, including about five with physical and learning difficulties from Mabel Prichard School.

Despite the current constraints, Ms Shaw said, staff were going to press on with a summer playscheme unless the situation rapidly deteriorates.

Plans are also in place for a new 'walking bus' from the nearby Windale Primary School – where most of the children hail from – to start next week.

She said: "About seven children will be using it from 3.15pm, when they finish school, over the road to the scheme.

"A lot of parents work and find it a bit difficult dropping them off after school, then getting back out, so I think it will work quite well."

Dovecote was among five charities to feature in ITV's The People's Projects earlier this year but failed to gain enough votes to win a share of Big Lottery funding.

Last month family services co-ordinator Carol Richards made a final plea for £5,000 from Blackbird Leys Parish Council, which – together with match funding from Oxford city councillors Sian Taylor and Jennifer Pegg – would keep the centre ticking over for a few more months.

Parish council chairman Gordon Roper said they would need to apply in June along with other community projects and "we will see what we can do".