TINY tots and exhausted parents in Blackbird Leys and Greater Leys have a new place of refuge after a stay and play group was relaunched.

The Dovecote Project in Nightingale Avenue started up its 'Little Doves' sessions for under-fives in response to a reduction in services at the nearby Leys Children's Centre following council cuts.

It comes as Dovecote celebrates a new lease of life after pulling itself back from the brink of a cash disaster in 2016 that almost saw it close.

Family services co-ordinator Carol Richards said: "It's really picked up over the past couple of weeks with the impact of the children's centres.

"They are not offering much to families on the estate now; it's more targeted work so we have some new faces and lots of kids coming."

Dovecote began last year £50,000 short of its running costs but reversed its fortunes and ended the year nominated for a national Children & Young People Now award.

Alongside Little Doves, it offers after-school activities for primary school-age children as well as summer play schemes and a narrowboat project, Dovecote Afloat.

Mrs Richards said: "It's busy now. We seem to be weathering the storm and are definitely safe for the next six months, much better than this time last year."

The Leys Children's Centre is among sites to retain some reduced services for vulnerable families after Oxfordshire County Council cutbacks.

It is still operating some stay and play sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays but is also signposting parents to other groups, including Dovecote.

Local mum Allison Logan, 34, whose children Alfie, six, and Jayden, nine, joined the after-school club last April, volunteered to help set up Little Doves.

She said: "With all the closures we thought maybe we should start something up for people to come along and meet some other mums.

"It's a relaxed setting as opposed to having to do certain things, and they're just doing up the garden outside so when the warm weather comes we can play outside as well.

"We want to get the awareness out there that it's there. It's a nice little group."

Up to nine parents with youngsters aged from newborn to five years old attended the first session since half term on Wednesday.

Dropping in for the first time was new mum Danielle England, from Greater Leys, with four-month-old baby Archie Woodley in tow.

The 20-year-old said: "It was alright. It's good to get him to be with other kids, and it gets me out of the house for a while.

"I was going to a baby group at Cuddesdon Corner; they have stopped that but they told me about Dovecote. I'll definitely come back for however long they do it."

Little Doves runs from 1.30pm to 3pm during termtime on Wednesdays and costs £1 to attend. For more information call 01865 712299.