IT’S been all hands on deck for children from Blackbird Leys this year as they’ve enjoyed life on their new canal boat.

Biddy’s Dream, a 60ft narrowboat, was launched in April to take the Oxford estate’s young people out on to the county’s waterways.

The project was spearheaded by the Dovecote charity and manager Carol Richards said the last seven months had been “a dream”.

She said: “It has just been great. As adults, a lot of us can only dream about going on a narrowboat, so you can imagine how excited the children were.

“They just love it. I think it’s the freedom of not being cooped up in a city.”

The Dovecote Afloat project has seen more than 100 children use the boat since April.

Mrs Richards said it had a calming effect on the estate’s more excitable children.

She said: “When they get out on the boat, we’ve found that the whole behaviour of some children changes.

“A lot of them become content to just sit and look out at the canal as it passes by.”

Young people with disabilities have also found their place on the boat project.

Mrs Richards said: “We had one little boy who made all the staff cry, he was so determined to walk up this hill like the other children.”

The boat was part-funded with a £50,000 grant from Oxfordshire County Council’s Aiming High for Disabled Children.

Other donations came from Blackbird Leys Parish Council, Oxford Round Table, the Co-operative Group and Oxford Citizens’ Housing Association.

It is moored on the Oxford Canal at Gunpowder Wharf in Kidlington and is available for day trips and weekend camps.

Mrs Richards said: “We hope we can raise enough money for a video camera the children can use and make movies about their experiences.

“We’re also trying to raise enough money for a minibus, as at the moment we borrow it from a local school and so can only use the boat out of term time.

“Fundraising is always an uphill battle but we’re confident we can pull together and do it.”

Seven-year-old Libby Jones said: “It was exciting.”

Alice Harwood, nine, said: “I’ve had an amazing time because I got to steer the boat and do the locks.”

Jessica Hart, 10, added: “It’s been fun because of everything we’ve done.”

The boat is available to other community groups throughout the year. To register your interest email leysdvpc@hotmail.com