A FOOTBALL tourna-ment which raised more than £2,000 for two Oxfordshire children’s charities has been described as a “phenomenal success”.

Now organisers want to make the fixture, held at Oxford City’s Marston ground, a regular twice-yearly event.

About 150 people took part in the six-a-side football tournament, The Charity League, lacing up their boots to support needy youngsters.

The league was set up to raise funds for Jacari, an Oxford-based charity which aims to help children who have English as their second language learn to read and write.

The charity currently helps tutor 260 city children aged four to 16 and relies on students from Oxford Brookes University as volunteers and mentors.

Money raised has been split between the organisation and SpecialEffect, the Charlbury charity which develops technology to help disabled people play video games.

Marketing and league coordinator Benjamin McFadyean said: “The tournament has been a great success in terms of the teams that entered it and the management who organised it.

“There were some great teams from companies across Oxfordshire and we are looking to do two a year, with the next one being in winter. A lot of the players’ wives came along to watch and there was a nice closing in the bar in the evening where the cups were handed over.

“The proceeds of the tournament will go to SpecialEffect and Jacari and will be put towards the work helping local children in Oxfordshire.”

Along with the football matches, volunteers sold raffle tickets, with one prize being a shirt signed by football legend Sir Bobby Charlton, and supplied refreshments to raise money.

Jacari co-ordinator Micaela Tuckwell said events such as this made a “huge difference” to the charity, based in Turl Street.

She added: “We are a small charity so fundraising events are a large part of our funding. Having the Football Charity League organise social enterprises, it allows us to free our time and our resources and do more work in the community, which is fantastic.”

Each team paid £100 to enter the tournament, playing on the club’s 3G pitch.

Oxford City had applied for planning permission for an additional 3G surface at the ground and hopes for a decision in the next two months. It would be opened up to the wider community and there are hopes up to 40 teams could benefit.

SpecialEffect said that its portion of the money would go towards buying equipment to help children with disabilities enjoy computer games using specialist controls.

Fundraiser for SpecialEffect Nick Streeter said he was “absolutely delighted” with the response the tournament got and the amount of money they received. He added: “As demand increases for our work we need donations like this to help us, I’m delighted with it. We help hundreds of people across the county.”