Osborne and Cameron prove a winning combo (From The Oxford Times)

Osborne and Cameron prove a winning combo

7:00am Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Tom Jennings

David Cameron teams up with George Osborne (no relation), front left, for a table soccer match at the official opening of Chipping Norton’s new £1m community centre, Glyme Hall. PICTURE BY JAMES HAWLEY

PRIME MINISTER David Cameron must have felt in familiar territory as he teamed up with George Osborne to take on the red team.

But rather than a battle of wits in the Commons with the Chancellor at his shoulder, the match-up took place on a table football pitch in a newly opened £1m community hall. And George is nine.

Mr Cameron opened volunteer-run Glyme Hall, in Chipping Norton, and described it as a “great example of the big society in action”.

George, who attends Holy Trinity Catholic School, revealed yesterday the table football match had gone well, with him and Mr Cameron beating the red team.

He added: “It was quite amazing because I did not expect I would ever meet David Cameron. I suppose I could say it was a joy.

“The hall is really big and it has loads to do. I would recommend it to anybody.”

The facility includes a large social room, large activities room, kitchen, adult education office and classroom, two meeting rooms and a garden.

It will house the town’s volunteer-run youth centre and includes table tennis, pool, Xbox, table football and other games to entertain the youngsters.

Chipping Norton has not had a youth centre since before the last summer holidays.

The project was funded with an £800,000 Government grant and £200,000 from cash set aside for the benefit of the town from the sale of the Parker Knoll factory.

But the project almost fell through in 2010, after cash-strapped Oxfordshire County Council baulked at funding the youth centre’s running costs.

The council attempted to send back the Government cash but the community petitioned County Hall to be able to run it themselves.

Led by Hilary Biles, county council member for Chipping Norton, the group set up the management committee, which has now applied for charity status.

The county council has helped with a £28,000 grant for the first year, but after that the committee will need to generate revenue on its own.

The committee plans to rent out the hall for theatre productions, conferences, exercise groups and parties to finance the youth centre and hall running costs.

Mrs Biles said: “It is going to be no small feat.

“It has already been a terrific amount of hard work and very time consuming but we will get there.

“We are determined it will be a success.

“Every town needs somewhere for the young people to meet but we tried to provide a facility for every possible wish. I want it to be used fully by the community.

She added: “This is a shining example of a community coming together for the good of the town. It is very much the Big Society.”

Mrs Biles said she was “very proud” to have seen the hall complete and being opened by the Prime Minister.

Mr Cameron said: “I was delighted to be invited to open the new Glyme Hall in Chipping Norton.

“It is a great example of the Big Society in action, where the local community stepped in to follow through a worthy project which was important to them.

“I congratulate everyone involved who worked so hard to make this happen and I wish Glyme Hall a happy and successful future.”