A community centre has been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of Oxford Mail readers after £2,000 was raised to fund their coach trips.

Barton Community Association was left thousands of pounds out of pocket when a coach company went bust last week.

Oxfordshire-based Heyfordian Travel ceased trading suddenly on August 1 citing rising costs and driver shortages.

READ MORE: Devastated children in need of help as seaside trips cancelled

It has had a devastating impact on Barton Community Association which organises day trips to the seaside for disadvantaged families in Oxford.

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The Oxford Mail set up a GoFundMe page last week, which has so far raised £2,082. 

Secretary Sue Holden said: “We want to take this opportunity to thank everybody at the Oxford Mail, the readers and anyone else that has offered their support and generosity to make sure all of our coach trips will go ahead during the rest of August and into September.

“Without your support it wouldn’t have happened.”

She added: “All the money raised will go towards coach trips.

“We will make sure that everybody has the opportunity to go to the seaside this year one way or another.

“The lovely thing is that for a lot of families it is the only chance they get to get out of Oxfordshire so it is really crucial that these trips still go ahead.

“On Wednesday, we sent off a coach to Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes. We had a bunch of really happy passengers who were delighted that we were able to make it happen.

“This time last week it was all in doubt and I thought I was going to have to face cancelling yet another coach trip.

“The trip went off at exactly 9am with lots of young children squealing and happy parents.

“I’m just hoping that they had a fabulous day.”

Chris Richmond was due to go to Brighton last week with Barton Community Association.

READ MORE: Investigation into death of man at home after fall

But the trip was cancelled at the last minute when Heyfordian Travel went bust.

Mr Richmond said: “Thanks very much and we are really grateful to the Oxford Mail readership for chipping in.

“For a lot of people round here, they are on low incomes or benefits.

“Back in the day, a day trip to the seaside was what the working man like me had to look forward to.

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“With the current climate that’s what it’s come back to and is all a lot of us can afford.

“We can’t afford to go off on big exotic holidays.”

READ MORE: Investigation into death of man at home after fall

Heyfordian Travel had been operating in Oxfordshire for more than 75 years.

In a statement released on its website on August 1, the company said it had ceased trading with the ‘utmost regret.’

It said: "We are so sorry after 76 years of trading that unfortunately it has come to this.

"We just faced too many headwinds with inflation, rising costs, driver shortages and having massive interest charges on our bounce back loans that it has become impossible to continue."