IT started out as an alternative to prison for young men caught joyriding and committing car crime in Blackbird Leys.

Now, 25 years on, Trax is helping hundreds of teenagers turn their lives around, steering them towards employment and careers with qualifications.

The charity, based at North Oxford's Red Barn Farm, celebrates its milestone birthday next month after supporting thousands of vulnerable and disadvantaged young men and women.

To mark the occasion, pupils past and present will attend a dinner in aid of the charity at Oxford Town Hall on July 14.

Lifetime president of the charity Peter Bridges has seen the organisation grow from a place for young men to build cars and bikes, to a education centre which teaches a wide range of skills and offering recognised qualifications.

Mr Bridges, who was the charity's first ever chairman back in 1992, said national press coverage of young men stealing and joyriding cars in the Blackbird Leys estate is what first sparked the idea for the charity's creation.

The young offenders would be referred to the Trax motor project and fuel their enthusiasm for vehicles into building and repairing cars and bikes on the right side of the law.

Mr Bridges said: "I was asked if I could chair the group and we brought in people from the public sector and the industry involved including people from Unipart and Rover in Cowley, which owned the factory at the time.

"In 1992 we opened out first premises in Cowley and were the only motor project in the county at the time. It was different, we had commercial people, public sector people who were getting together to tackle a problem in Oxford.

"We used to work with youngsters who had been referred to us by the courts with a supervision order rather than sending them to prison.

"We also got people referred to us from other organisations who were getting involved in car crime or on the fringes of it.

"That was to prevent them getting anymore involved in the first place."

The charity opened a workshop for the young men with Unipart in Cowley for three years before moving onto Osney Mead and then Red Barn Farm in 2008, which is owned by Merton College.

In the past 25 years, Trax has expanded and now also helps young women and offers courses in catering and gardening, with many applying to join to develop personal skills as well as educational ones.

It was awarded City and Guilds accreditation in recent years, meaning qualifications can be offered which greatly improve prospects of employment.

The funding model has also changed to compensate for the reduction in public cash, with a business set up run by its catering students to the organisation financially.

Mr Bridges said: "Trax is a fascinating sort of story. It has survived today because it has changed. It's not just motor car projects, its more education focused.

"I didn't think it would develop the way it has done. There is a tremendous amount of goodwill among the volunteers and staff at Trax in the projects we grow to love."

Trax employs a small team of staff which support children from all over the county on a daily basis.

Director Olivia Davies, who has worked at Trax for 10 years, told the Oxford Mail the charity has about 300 students pass through its doors every year.

She added: "When I started here it was about youth work and building engines.

"Now we have gone from just engines to helping more people, introduced catering, gardening and secured the city an guilds status."

The birthday celebration night will take place at Oxford Town Hall, in St Aldates, and will include a three-course meal prepared and served by the Trax Social Enterprise.

There will also be a 'skills and promises auction' to raise money for the continued work that Trax does as well as a celebration of success stories over the years.

To purchase tickets, contact the charity on 01865 318040.