THE future of an Oxford playground hangs in the balance as its long suffering committee tells residents: It’s now or never.

Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground closed in December 2009 after 35 years of providing fun for children on the estate.

And despite numerous attempts to reopen it, committee members say they are tired of the constant lack of support. They have organised a meeting next month and, if no one comes forward to volunteer, say it will close for good.

Chairman Kieran Watson, 40, said: “This is an emergency meeting to talk about the playground’s future.

“And if not enough people come forward to join the committee, we’ve decided we won’t go any further.”

Mr Watson said they needed eight people to form a working committee but only three were providing any regular support.

The August AGM, organised to save the playground, instead ended with a motion to dissolve the charity.

Mr Watson said: “We keep on saying the same things, about how much this playground is needed in this community and how much children enjoyed it.

“But it’s getting more difficult to try to justify the motivation to get excited about the next meeting or the next funding bid.

“Every time we get knocked down, we pick ourselves back up off the floor.

“So this could very well be our swan song.”

The playground was turned down this year for Big Society Funding from Oxfordshire County Council and money from the Big Lottery Fund.

Before it closed, it cost around £60,000 a year to run.

Mr Watson said: “I talk to people and they say they used to love the playground. It was the only place with proper supervised play.

“But no one seems to want to take on the challenge of bringing it back.”

The committee are now putting together their application for November’s round of Big Society funding and looking into other possible business models.

The meeting will be held at 6.30pm on October 10 at the Blackbird Leys Community Centre in Blackbird Leys.