A resource centre which has helped families for more than a decade is to be made homeless within weeks.

The Down's Syndrome Oxford Resource Centre has been told that it must leave its home at the Park Hospital in Headington by January 13, because the site is to be sold for redevelopment.

Katharine Horrocks, spokesman for the charity, said: "It's very sad that something that has been of real benefit to all the children and families is to go."

Parents involved with the charity Down's Syndrome Oxford raised the money to buy and fit out a portable building to house the centre more than 10 years ago.

As well as social events and speaker evenings, the facility has offered speech and language groups, clinic appointments for physiotherapy and optometry, a library and a meeting place for parents, all from a portable building in the hospital grounds.

Mrs Horrocks said: "The centre is owned by us, we put in the investment and borrowed the land, but through no fault of our own, we are going to be out, and that's a great shame.

"Although we wouldn't expect the NHS to give us something equivalent, communication from them has been very poor. We only found out by accident that we had to move."

The charity has been offered a barn in which to store toys, books and other resources, and the Roundabout Centre in Barton has said some sessions can be held there.

Mrs Horrocks said: "We have been told that we will get some shared space at the children's hospital, but they have not said what it is going to be or when it is available.

"We are very sad because what we have got is a piecemeal solution and, yes we can make it work, but it's not going to be anything like what we have had.

"Our ideal solution would be to find a permanent home so that it can be a hub of all our activities, whether that is a room somewhere or re-siting the portable building somewhere.

"We have got a lot of work to do and a lot of resources like toys are going to be unavailable because they will be in storage."

Anyone with information about possible temporary or permanent homes for the centre can contact Ellie Walpole on 07796 087243.