SHE has played in rock 'n' roll bands across the country, led campaigns, raised an autistic son and served as chairwoman of the Oxfordshire autistic society OASIS for four years.

But when she had to go to a job interview where children were asking the questions, that is when she got nervous.

Luckily, she passed the test, and now Georgina Hicks has one of the most important jobs in the world – at least as far as the teenagers of Wantage and Grove are concerned: she runs their Sweatbox youth club.

In taking on the job of role model to thousands of impressionable youngsters, she was also filling the not-insubstantial shoes of her predecessor, the legendary Garry Kingett who ran the club at King Alfred's school East Site for three decades before stepping down in December.

Mrs Hicks, known to friends as George, had actually been helping out at the Sweatbox for years, but that didn't make it any less daunting when she found out that it was club members themselves who would conduct her interview for the top job.

She recalled: "That was the hardest part – they want to know what you want to do there.

"Garry's done such a fantastic job you want to get it right and follow in his footsteps but also put some new ideas in."

In fairness, it wasn't exactly a level playing field: Mrs Hicks isn't just a long-serving volunteer – she is actually a former member.

Born in Wantage hospital, the young George first started going to the Sweatbox as a teenager growing up in the town and going to King Alfred's.

Her future husband Simon, a graphic designer, even played the opening night when Mr Kingett relaunched what was once the Wantage Youth Club as the Sweatbox, although Mr Hicks didn't win the future Mrs Hicks over until years later.

After studying journalism at Edinburgh Napier University she worked a series of part-time jobs while touring around Scotland with various bands.

She eventually moved back to Abingdon, and got a marketing job at Witney's Wychwood Brewery, which is when she rekindled her friendship with her old schoolmate Simon.

The pair were married and now have two children – Ezie, 11, and eight-year-old Isaac, who has autism.

That led her to get involved with the Oxfordshire autistic society OASIS, for which she served as chairman for four years until December.

Back in Oxfordshire, she was also drawn inexorably back to the Sweatbox and ended up playing the Wantage royal wedding party in the park organised by the Sweatbox with her band the Undercovers.

She also became a volunteer at Beatbox – the Sweatbox's disability club night, and has now been a paid support worker there for five years.

When Mr Kingett's job was advertised, she applied without telling any of the club members – only to be invited to an interview with several of them.

She said her 'absolute, primary concern' when applying was that she was the right person for the club members.

She said: "I had to be the right person for the children – I just want the best for the club and those young people, and to give them whatever opportunities I can.

"Garry used to say that what young people want is a place to go and something to do, and that's absolutely right, but they also need so much more than that, like advice and support."

After passing the audition, she finally took up the reigns in March.

She could not have joined at a more crucial time in the club's history: after more than 30 years based at King Alfred's East Site on Springfield Road, the school is this year selling that entire site off to a housing developer.

King Alfred's announced in May that the youth club, which is helps fund, will be moving to the centre site in Portway in January.

It will be based in a two-storey arts building, giving Mrs Hicks and her team of volunteers wider scope to do much more with their work.

The exact details have yet to be finalised but she said she was delighted the new home had been secured, and looking forward to helping create a new Sweatbox – if, indeed, that is the new club's name.

But, being a musician, space for live performance was near the top of her wish list.

She said: "I would really love to be able to keep the space we have for music, that's always been a very key part of the youth club.

"It's still very much a work in progress and I know there are conversations due to happen soon."

In the meantime, she said she was having great fun leading the club where she cut her own teeth all those years ago.