MORE volunteers are needed to keep Risinghurst Community Centre going, it has been warned.

The Risinghurst Community Association has said it needs people to come forward to help run the Kiln Lane centre for the benefit of the estate.

It comes after an £80,000 revamp of the centre was finished last year.

Trustee Roz Smith said: “We need volunteers to run it. We don’t want it to close.

“It is such a lovely place and all this money has been spent.”

The centre is owned by Oxford City Council but managed by the volunteer-run committee.

There are more than 70 members of the association but only nine sitting on the committee.

Mrs Smith said: “It is not enough to run a big place like that. It is a shame and we want to go on and improve the big hall but if we haven’t got enough people we would be unable to do that.”

She added: “We are looking for someone with accountancy skills to help us with the books and also for people to come along and help with the fundraising.”

The Oxfordshire County Council member for Headington and Quarry also said the committee was looking at setting up a youth club but would need to find and train volunteers to run it.

The centre is used regularly by estate groups including toddler and senior citizen clubs, as well as bingo and line dancing classes.

Rebecca Vince, chairwoman of the committee, said: “Lots of people benefit from the centre so we want to keep that going.”

And she added: “It is only a community centre if it’s run by the community.”

The Risinghurst resident said volunteers would have to spare no more than two hours a week and there was no long term commitment involved.

To volunteer, call 07887 893526.