COMIC Relief and the Oxford Mail are urging communities in Oxfordshire to come forward and apply for cash over the next month.

For the first time, we are offering £50,000 from the Red Nose Day Community Cash fund to go directly to small charities and organisations.

Grants of up to £1,000 could make a huge difference to people’s lives, as one Oxfordshire charity already knows.

Kids Enjoy Exercise Now, or Keen, is a joint venture between Oxford Brookes and Oxford University to provide opportunities for children with learning difficulties to play sport.

It started as a tennis club in 1988, but now runs weekly sessions for more than 160 children, with 340 volunteers.

Kate Sankie, who has been the Keen co-ordinator since September 2009, said: “Our whole aim is to give all children the opportunity to enjoy sports and recreational activities.

“We were given £2,000 from Comic Relief towards our Saturday sports sessions, where we regularly have 45 children.”

The money was spent on new equipment including tennis racquets, parachutes and an indoor curling set, and new activities like trampolining.

Miss Sankie said: “The money has helped us so much, we are grateful for any help we get.”

“The biggest testament is that we see these kids day in, day out, and they keep coming back because they are having fun.

“We see them develop in their self confidence, and just to see their big smiling faces is thanks enough.”

Former Oxford Brookes student Kate Dickie, 22, has been volunteering for three years. She said: “It’s just a lot of fun. The kids seem to enjoy it and I think everyone gets a lot out of it. We try to do something different every week.”

Among the children who takes part in the sessions is 10-year-old Rhodri Jones from Marston.

He said: “I’ve been coming for months and I like all the activities we get to do. My favourite is football and I’ve made lots of friends.”