It is not often that any stories about drugs are ever deemed 'good news' in the press. But the news that the Community Action Development group has been saved is not just 'good news', it's 'fantastic news'.

Last month we revealed the plight of the Blackbird Leys project after the hardworking, dedicated team of volunteers there had been told their group faced the axe because its funds had run out.

What's worse is that the city council refused to help, thus pulling the plug on the support, help and advice drug addicts, alcoholics, substance abusers and their families had been receving since 2002.

We supported their appeals for donations to keep them going, because, like many other communities there is a drug problem in Blackbird Leys, and a project like this is worth support from everyone.

And we believed that there was no excuse for the money not to be found to keep the CAD going.

But now, at the 11th hour the project has been handed a £12,000 lifeline by a consortium made up of Oxford City Council, the East Oxford Healthy Living Initiative, Oxford City Primary Health Care Trust, the Oxfordshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team and Oxford Police.

This will be enough funds to keep the group -- which alone came to the rescue of 1,000 people in need of help last year -- going until Christmas.

They hope that by then they will receive their much-deserved charity status allowing it to function without fear of running out of funds to pay the bills.

This was a group desperate to help those in desperate need.

No longer should this worthy cause feel that desperation.

And long may it continue making a difference to the community for many years to come.