IT’S a great shame that the Oxfordshire Playbus is no longer able to go the extra mile for the disadvantaged of Oxfordshire.

After serving 10,000 people over the past 35 years, including disabled people, children and the elderly, the charity is about to go into liquidation.

Over the years, it has received financial backing from numerous organisations, including the National Lottery and the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of the Oxford Mail’s parent company.

But the figures on the balance sheet do not lie. According to the Charities Commission, outgoings in 2013 substantially exceeded income – not a financial model any business can sustain.

So it is not surprising that the Playbus organisation has been taken off the road – for the time being at least.

Tym Soper, who worked for the charity for 18 years until he left in February, is chairman of the national playbus association, Working on Wheels. He hopes to use his influence to get the Oxfordshire outfit back on the road at some point.

The charity has reached out to those parts of the county not blessed with many facilities or resources. These towns and villages will miss the regular visits of buses providing specialist services.

If Oxfordshire Playbus is revived there must be no quick fix as the current model has clearly failed.

The board of trustees needs to source as many grants as possible, from a wide variety of organisations, in an increasingly competitive market for charities.

The next time the Oxfordshire Playbus hits the streets it must be truly roadworthy with a detailed map for the future.