STUDENTS swapped their books for bingo balls, as they helped a North Oxford estate hold a community session for residents aged between 10 and 90.

Undergraduates from Oxford University visited Cutteslowe Community Centre on Thursday to help run a half-term bingo afternoon.

The initiative aims to bring together families and older people living on the estate.

It is the first time students have helped run bingo at the centre, and organisers including community worker Liz Edwards are hoping it can become a regular event.

Community worker Anna Thornhill said: “We’re always looking for more volunteers to help out here, and it’s good for us to get more people who can help run it in the future.

“It works well: it’s good experience for the students, and good for us as well.”

She added: “We wanted to make the community centre as welcoming as possible, and put on some family friendly activities.

“Now everybody is saying they want to have this more often.

“It has drawn people between 10 and 90, with grandchildren coming along with their grandparents.”

The students became involved in the initiative through Oxford Hub, which connects university students with good causes across the city.

Councillor Jean Fooks, who set up the link with the community centre, said: “The bingo session attracted a real mix of ages, which was slightly surprising. Bringing people together like this is always a good thing. It lets isolated people meet friends and make friends.”

Jake Leeder, from Oxford Hub, said: “When students volunteer with us, it gets them out of the university bubble and gives them experiences they would not otherwise have as part of their university degree.

“They definitely get to see other parts of Oxford that most students would not normally see.”

Each year, 500 students from the university volunteer at 22 community projects across the city.

lsloan@oxfordmail.co.uk