Press Release – 8th August 2025
Investing in Our Young People
Witney Town Council’s Youth Services Grants
Witney Town Council is proud to announce the allocation of its annual Youth Services Grant to eight youth-focused organisations across the town. This year saw a record-breaking level of interest, with groups demonstrating the incredible commitment to supporting young people and services for them in our community.
With a total grant budget of £20,000, the Council was unable to fund all applications in full. However, each submission was carefully considered, and funding was awarded to projects that most closely aligned with objectives of the scheme. Priority was given to inclusive, preventative initiatives that offer open-access support and benefits to young people in Witney—programmes that are clearly signposted, accessible, and provide measurable impact.
The successful applicants and their awarded projects are:
Witney Buttercross Scouts received £3,500 to purchase activity equipment. As one of the largest scout groups in the UK, with over 400 young people and 40 adult volunteers, they recently secured a 6.3-acre activity site and will use the funding to purchase tents, gazebos, and rope bridge-building supplies.
4th Witney Girl Guides were awarded £1,000 to help purchase tents and camping gear to support their outdoor activities.
West Oxfordshire Levellers, a not-for-profit Rugby League club, were granted £1,000 to run a Girls Rugby League Activity Day for school years 2–11. The event will promote inclusivity and break down barriers for girls new to team sports, focusing on enjoyment, teamwork, and confidence-building rather than athletic ability.
Ian Ferry, Club Secretary commented,
“West Oxfordshire Levellers Rugby League plan a Girls Rugby League Activity Day (school years 2 to 11). It’s for girls who play sports and those who don’t. Activities will include skill development, problem solving, team-working/building and learning leadership qualities. All can be adapted to help develop girls as the individuals they are. Success won’t be measured by strength, stamina or ability to play; but on involvement and enjoyment.
Rugby League benefits from players of all shapes and sizes. By encouraging young players (especially girls) to be who they are and how they are; we can increase the number of female players enjoying regular team activities. The club is ever grateful to Witney Town Council for granting funds to provide this opportunity for girls in our community.
We’d love people to join the club too, for details please contact us on our website www.westoxfordshirelevellers.co.uk
The Parish of Witney received £2,500 to deliver an inclusive Enrichment Summer Camp in partnership with Abingdon and Witney College. Aimed at post-16 students, the programme will help young people build the skills and confidence needed to transition into further education, training, or employment.
Bright Futures Oxfordshire was awarded £3,648 to expand the youth work of The Station by introducing parenting courses. The initiative will offer courses across schools and community settings— aimed at parents of children in Years 5 and 6, and for parents of teenagers—to provide much-needed support during critical transition periods.
Witney Food Revolution received £2,150 to run a food skills programme for teenagers. The initiative addresses the growing gap in essential cooking and meal-planning skills, aiming to reintroduce basic food knowledge through hands-on workshops.
Chair, Liliane Aris said,
“Witney Town Council’s support has been instrumental since our very beginnings, enabling us to grow into the organisation we are today. This Youth Services Grant will help us take the next step of moving from simply redistributing surplus food to actively engaging and supporting young people in our community. We’re developing hands-on workshops we hope will give young people a friendly place to connect while learning practical life skills around food. We want to help them to build a healthier relationship with food, understand the impact of waste, and become more involved in their local community.”
Friends of Springfield School were granted £2,850 to fund therapeutic horse-riding sessions. These sessions, delivered in partnership with Riding for the Disabled, provide significant physical and emotional benefits to the children.
Yellow Submarine will receive £2000 to run its Witney Youth Club summer activities, which directly support families with learning disabled children aged 11-18 in Witney and West Oxfordshire in small groups of 12- 16 young people at a time. They offer families respite and provide stimulating, fun activities for their children out and about in the local community, building their confidence and friendships.
Cllr Thomas Ashby, Chair of the Stronger Communities Committee, said: “We have been incredibly moved by reading the quality of applications for this vital youth grant. It is a real pleasure to support these organisations who are delivering vital services for our young people. The passion, dedication and support we see from volunteers to those who are employed in the sector are profound; therefore, every penny that we invest, means that young people in Witney are receiving the best possible guidance, support, and opportunities to thrive. We are so proud to fund these applications which will go towards building a brighter future for our young people in our community.”
