New funds to play with

At the last Jericho Area Committee meeting in November it was announced that around £100,000 would be spent on leisure facilities in Jericho. This turned out to be an overestimate - or at least we'll not see it all immediately. Some money is to be used, for example, to improve the football field at Aristotle Lane (which, though used by Jericho people, is outside Jericho). Still, Jericho itself may be in line for around £60,000. Of this around half will be used to create the new play area in the school field on the corner of Hart Street and Great Clarendon Street to replace the one behind the school. Draft plans have been prepared for this and consultations have started. Consultations are also underway on how best to use the other funds. A meeting with councillors and city officers at the Community Centre in January, with about 30 young people, produced a long list of suggestions. These included some football facilities, including a goalpost and a section of all-weather surface, low balance beams, and perhaps a lower basketball hoop for the under-tens, with lights to permit night-time use. People also suggested other things that might go in the Community Centre, such as facilities for pool, snooker and table tennis. However there is also some immediate action on the youth front. The bus service to the Wolvercote Young People's Club on Wednesday evenings has now been resumed. And on Thursday evenings at the Community Centre there will be a Music Café - a sort of DJ school for 13 to 19 year-olds. At the same time two council youth workers will run a drop-in club for young people. These are, however, at present only due to last eight weeks.