A GRIEVING mother whose son committed suicide after battling depression has helped re-open the village youth club to ensure all local teenagers have the support they need.

Jax Dixon and her friend Jo Williams have brought the youth club back to Leafield two weeks ago – 12 years after the facility closed.

But the pair were overwhelmed with the amount of interest, with the number of members doubling in a fortnight.

Pre-school teacher Mrs Dixon brought back the club in memory of her son Zak Harper, who died aged 21 in September 2014.

The 50-year-old said: "Our children in this village have nothing – there is nothing to do. They are the future and they need to build memories and be open to new experiences. And we need to show them that we love and care about them. It's really important.

"They absolutely love it. Parents have been coming up and thanking me for for setting up the club again."

On the first night, about 14 youngsters turned up, but the number has doubled since then.

To celebrate its success, staff at Leafield Community Gym spent £250 on a new six-foot pool table for the children and teenagers to enjoy, which was presented to them as a surprise on Thursday.

Mrs Dixon said: "We've got table tennis, an Xbox, and the girls sometimes get on the stage and put music on and start dancing. We made pizzas last week and biscuits.

"We ask them each week what they want and they write it down on a little note to put in a suggestion box. It's absolutely fabulous seeing their faces. They are beaming.

"We're doing it in memory of my beautiful son. He loved youth club."

Jo Williams added: "We wanted to do it in memory of Jax's son. We don't want others to fall into the trap of being depressed. We want somewhere where they can go, where they can talk to us."

Mrs Dixon lives with husband Richard in Leafield and children Jordan, 27, Troy, 21, Bryn, 14, and Abigail, 12.

Last July the family raised £20,000 for mental health charity Oxfordshire Mind in honour of Zak, the majority of which was collected through a big fundraising event in the village called Ziggy Fest.

The family are hosting another Ziggy Fest at the village hall on May 28, which would have been Zak's 23rd birthday.

Mrs Dixon said: "We just want to get there on time so another family don't have to feel like this. Because it is hell – it's sheer hell."