Oxfordshire Playbus is retiring its old London bus and replacing it with a customised model, thanks to Lottery cash.

Oxfordshire Playbus is one of four organisations to benefit in the latest round of grants to Oxfordshire groups totalling £627,000, given out by the Community Fund - the new name for the National Lottery Charities Board.

The playbus scheme, based at Tower PlayBase, Northway, Headington, Oxford, has been awarded £199,026 - enough to pay in full for the new bus.

Niz Smith, Oxfordshire Playbus manager, said: "Our present bus is 33 years old and it's getting to the point where it's hard to find parts for it. The really significant thing about the new one is it's the first time we have had a purpose-built play bus.

"We have had the present one since 1985 - and it was a London bus before that."

She said the playbus was visited by 5,000 children a year on its travels around the county.

The new bus will have a generator, central heating, computer access, toilets and a 'ball pond' for youngsters to play in.

Other organisations to receive lottery grants are:

*Lewknor Parish Recreation Ground, awarded £96,250 to refurbish the village hall

*Oxford Housing Rights Centre, New Road, Oxford - which gives housing advice to refugees and asylum seekers - boosted by £141,709

*Oxfordshire Parents with Disabilities Network, based in Didcot, given an £189,974 grant to support disabled parents and their families.