The redevelopment of Oxford City football club’s ground has been given a major shot in the arm thanks to the generosity of the county’s business community.

Guests at the Oxfordshire Business Awards gala dinner in June raised more than £3,500 which was then donated to the club as the outgoing holder of the Oxford Times Charity and Community Award the previous year.

The cheque for £3,512 was presented to managing director Colin Taylor and will be used to equip a lounge area for members of the Casuals disabled team and their families.

He said: “The cash is really welcome and it was a fantastic gesture from those attending the awards.

“When we won the award last year, we did not expect this, so it has come as an added bonus.”

The club’s Court Place Farm ground in Marston is being transformed into the Community Arena in a £2.1m development which will include a full-size artificial grass pitch, pavilion and new 80-space car park, together with six floodlit netball courts.

Another area of development will be the focus on education which has been expanded by the launch of the Oxford Football Partnership with Oxford and Cherwell Valley College and the Premier Sports Group.

It provides full-time educational courses linked with football coaching, and more than 50 students are now based at the club with more apprentices now being recruited.

Sport England and the Football Foundation made contributions to develop the new facilities, but a significant proportion has come from fundraising, sponsorship and donations Work is ongoing and will be completed on time by the end of October.

Mr Taylor: “There has already been a lot of interest and we are already taking bookings from schools, colleges and clubs for the all-weather pitch without even having to advertise it.

Club chairman Brian Cox added: “There is nothing else like it in Oxford.”