South Oxford Community Centre

 The Community centre is located in a beautiful old Victorian pumping station built in 1856 and can be found a mile from the centre of Oxford just off the Abingdon Road in Lake Street.

South Oxford Community Association (set up in 1937) looks after the day to day running of the Community Centre. We provide rooms for the benefit of local residents to use for leisure, meetings, and learning at affordable prices. The Association is a charity, and we offer subsidised rates for groups working for the benefit of the community. The Community Centre is self-financing and we pay all our own staff costs, bills, buy our equipment and maintain the interior of the building. Our Management Committee is a friendly group, and we are always looking for new members. You can find more information on the Management Committee in 'meet the team'. Please contact the office to register your interest in joining the Committee or for more information. The Community Centre hosts various groups during the year and Art events in May and Christmas. Details can be found here or on our Facebook page South Oxford Community Centre. The Centre can also be used for Art exhibitions contact the office for more details.

The Community Centre has Free Wi-Fi brought by Super Connected Oxford

Please contact Debby in the office on 01865 242666 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

The Didcot to Oxford Branch of the Great Western Railway opened in June 1844 and we'll be celebrating its 175th anniversary with events at or near all five stations along the line – Didcot, Appleford, Culham, Radley and Oxford – on Saturday 15 June 2019.
The railway came rather late to Oxford, mainly due to opposition from the University which feared for the morals of its students. In particular it was very worried about providing undergraduates with easy access to London, where they might be involved in "improper marriages and other illegitimate connexions". After several years - and two failed parliamentary Bills - the University finally dropped its opposition when it was agreed that its officials could patrol the station and physically prevent students from travelling to unsuitable destinations. Moreover, the Act of Parliament giving permission for the branch line stated that the Great Western could sell undergraduates tickets only to approved stations, and not to places like Ascot and Henley.
The opening of the line to the public on 12 June 1844 caused enormous excitement and great crowds gathered in areas adjacent to the railway. Thousands of people watched enthralled as the first public train arrived from Didcot:
"...one of those rampageous, dragonnading fire-devils ... arrived at a sufficiently astonishing rate, and though gasping for breath and shining with heat, seemed to have turned not one hair more than was deemed proper by each spectator, even after its long and whirlwind chase." (Jackson's Oxford Journal, 15 June 1844)
Join us for an equally exciting day on Saturday 15 June. You'll be able to buy a special GWR ticket to take you from one station to the next, and included in the price will be discounted entry to the Didcot Railway Centre. There it'll be a special Steam Day, with locomotives which served on the Didcot to Oxford line on display. At Appleford's steam-themed fête there'll be a beer tent and barbeque; at Culham you can explore the 1844 Brunel-designed ticket office; and at Radley you'll be able to hear story tellers relating tales about the village and the railway. At Oxford we'll be based in Grandpont, very near the site of the city's first (1844) railway station, and you'll be able to enjoy rides on miniature trains, working model displays, exhibitions about the history of Oxford's railways, and free guided walks to the nearby LMS swingbridge, a national Scheduled Monument.
Take part in our photo competition What does the Didcot to Oxford railway mean to you? from 19 April to 30 May. Fabulous prizes to be won! Further details at www.didcotoxfordgwr175.org/competition.html 
For more information on all the celebrations visit www.didcotoxfordgwr175.org or contact Liz Woolley on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   01865 242760.
Celebrations kindly supported by Great Western Railway, Oxford City Council, Greening Lamborn Trust, Brasenose College, University College, St Matthew's Bridge Builder Trust , Oxfordshire Local History Association, Oxford Civic Society, the Railway Inn, Culham and Entikera Ltd. 

The event website is here: http://www.didcotoxfordgwr175.org/oxford.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/175Oxf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/175yearsoxfordbranch/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/175YearsoftheOxfordBranchLine/

As well as the celebrations on 15 June, there will be an exhibition about the history of the railway in the County Library at the Westgate in Oxford from 25 May to 10 June:
http://www.didcotoxfordgwr175.org/exhibition.html

 The art in the Community Centre is now under a new title 'New Hinksey Arts' this title will be used for all our exhibitions, promotions and workshops.

A big thank you to all who came along to the New Hinksey Arts Artweeks exhibition. A large number of you came along to the 5 days we were open and to our late night opening where we had live music, poetry, drama and dance. We have more Art on the way this year with a Peter Ross exhibition in September, the art of George Bissill in November and the Christmas New Hinksey Arts event in December. Plus Art weekend in June and the Big Draw in October. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates. 

New Hinksey Arts Workshops;

Watercolour Pencil Workshop starting in March 2019 All materials provided. £10.00 [SOCA members] £15.00 non-member

Life Drawing workshop starts 26th January All materials provided. £12.00 [SOCA members] £14.00 non-members

NEW Building a sketchbook workshop starting in March 2019. All materials provided. £10.00 [SOCA members] £15.00 non-members

NEW Photography workshop starts 28th May 2019. £80.00 [SOCA members] £100.00 non-members for all 4 weeks. For more information contact Debby in the office on 01865 242666 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

For more information on our art workshops and events see our Arts page

If you would like to be on the email list for the art events please contact the office by email to give your written consent on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Neighbourhood Community Forums are held during the year. Past Forum notes can be found here.

If you would like to be on the email list for the Forum contact the office on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Find out about the regular activities taking place at the Centre.

Details of the rooms for hire 

The 37 men of New and South Hinksey. A group of local enthusiasts are researching the history of the 37 men of New and South Hinksey who lost their lives during the first world war. More information can be found on their website www.wixsy1.wixsite.com/37men-new-hinksey or contacting the office on 01865 242666

Explore the fascinating history of Grandpont, New Hinksey and Cold Harbour

Directions to the centre and a location map.

Please get in touch if you want to make a booking, or have any queries.

Links to other South Oxford organizations. This page also contains a diary of events in South Oxford.

As you will be aware as and from 25th May 2018 there are new rules on data protection. If you would like to have information sent from the Community Centre you need to send in written confirmation to the office by email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  All previous agreements are no longer valid and I will not be able to contact you with information on events.

We have several lists that you can sign up to. Art events and classes, Neighbourhood Forum, and local events in general at the Community Centre. We would like to keep you informed so please do contact us.

Our new policies on Privacy and Data protection can be found on the Policies page.