A CYBER café for disadvantaged young people will soon go online thanks to a £7,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation.

Base 33 Youth Charity, in Witney, works with young people aged between 13 and 25 who come from deprived backgrounds to provide a safe space and help them gain skills that will improve their lives as they become adults.

It comes as the Oxford Mail's parent company Gannett Media continues its latest search for charities looking for a funding boost of up to £10,000.

The youth charity applied in last year's funding round and was one of five charities in Oxfordshire given £30,000 to fund everything from outings for young carers to the refurbishment of a play area.

In the charity’s application, appeals director Diane Claridge explained how vital the kitchen and café area was.

She said: “Each day we see between 25 and 30 young people, most of whom haven’t had nutritious food for two to three days and are in urgent need of nourishment before we can help them deal with their problems.”

But she said the current facilities were now out of date and needed refurbishment.

She added: “The doors are falling off the kitchen cupboard, the work surface is broken, the computer equipment is old and not working properly or compatible.”

The charity's chief executive officer, Wendy Dawson, said since the grant was approved in December work had been delayed due to the building being listed, but that the refurbishment was set to begin soon.

She explained: “We had to get the alterations approved, which has taken time, but we’ve cleared the space now are ready to start.

“Once it’s in place it’s going to be so important for the young people we help.

“Teaching them to cook is one of the key things we do, as it makes it so it isn’t just charity but instead we are teaching life skills.”

She added: “The computers will also mean there is a safe space for them to fill out job applications, when they maybe wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that somewhere else.”

Each year the Gannett Foundation sifts through hundreds of applications to find local causes most in need of help.

This year the criteria has been expanded to include one-day or limited-time events.

Ms Dawson said: “My advice to groups thinking about applying this year is to be specific and think about the people who are going to benefit from the money.

“I think what helped us is we spoke with the young people and identified a clear need for our older young people that the money could solve.”

All applications must be submitted by 5pm on Monday, October 9. They will only be accepted if submitted on an approved entry form, available from oxfordmail.co.uk/news/community/gannettfoundation.

These must be sent with supporting evidence to gannettapplications@nqo.com or by post to Oxford Mail, Newsquest Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0EJ.