£320k capital grants awarded to improve quality of life in South Oxfordshire
Published 4 February 2026
Refurbished play areas, community and sports facilities, and investments in sustainability projects including installing solar panels and e-bike chargers, will benefit communities across South Oxfordshire thanks to grant funding.
South Oxfordshire District Council has awarded £320k through its Capital Grant scheme to local organisations as a financial boost towards the capital costs of projects that improve quality of life for local people.
The council awarded £75,000 for refurbishment to the community facilities at The Berin Centre in Berinsfield to improve accessibility and sustainability. The works will improve the building’s energy efficiency, lowering utility costs and reducing its carbon footprint by upgrading the heating system, adding insulation, resealing windows and installing new doors.
The access ramps will be replaced to be wider and dramatically extend their lifespan. The grant will also fund works to make the space more inviting and usable by installing a new kitchen for local families to use and redecorating throughout the centre.
Laura Harte, Director of The Berin Centre said: “The support provided by the South Oxfordshire District Council Capital Grants Scheme has made our project possible. The refurbishment of The Berin Centre will enable us to support more people and make sure that this well-loved community facility continues to feel like the warm and welcoming space that it’s known to be.”
Wheatley Parish Council were awarded £50,000 to give a well-used, tired playground an innovative refurbishment.
Alison Sercombe, Chairman, Wheatley Parish Council said: “Wheatley’s Church Road Recreation Ground was last refurbished in 2007 and is showing signs of wear and tear from generations of Wheatley children. This is an exciting project which will deliver both physical and imaginative play for the next generation of children, family members, and carers and be an asset to the village.”
Cllr Georgina Heritage, Cabinet Member for Communities at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “We are delighted to be able to award Capital Grant Scheme funding to help local organisations, our local voluntary sector and town and parish councils bring impactful projects to life that will benefit communities and improve quality of life for people in South Oxfordshire.”
The 2025/26 round of the Capital Grant Scheme funded 10 projects including installing new bicycle shelters with e-bike charging at the Earth Trust Centre, installing solar panels on the roof of Holton Village Hall, new changing rooms at Abingdon Rugby Club, converting The Forge in Binfield Heath into a community facility and refurbishing Warborough and Shillingford village’s Great Memorial Hall.
In the council’s new proposed budget there is planned provision to award a new round of the Capital Grant scheme to capital projects in 2026/2027 that take place in the district or within a three-mile radius of the district boundary, details will be announced soon.
