A SOCIAL enterprise opened its doors to show how it is transforming the lives of disadvantaged people in the county.

Aspire Oxford, in Osney Lane, helps to get people in need working and held an Open Day for clients, employers and supporters.

The employment charity runs its own social businesses that do not seek to make a profit and are involved in things such as grounds maintenance and furniture upcycling to get unemployed residents back into work.

Senior fundraising and communications officer Helen Mariner said: "Aspire's staff were on hand to talk to people about the different ways they can get involved, such as our 'Through the Gate' project supporting ex-offenders into employment or our CSCS construction training opportunity.

"Aspire was also delighted to welcome local employers to discuss possible apprenticeships and work placements. "

The open day was also seen as a chance to promote Aspire's upcoming conference on Wednesday, April 26, the first of its kind in Oxford.

It is hoped the Employers' Conference in April will encourage more businesses to recruit from disadvantaged groups.

Ms Mariner added: "Aspire is set to support hundreds of Oxfordshire's most marginalised people during 2017, including young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs).

"This open day was a valuable chance to spread the word about our vital work and ensure that everyone in need of our help can access it."

In December last year Aspire announced it had received lottery funding to provide a programme of training and support for the young and employed across Oxfordshire.

Paul Roberts, chief operating officer, said: "This is really good news for young people who have not been able to find work for a while.

"We help about 40 young people a year in this category and with this extra funding we will be able to increase that number to about 65.

"The plan is for a network of nine community enterprises like ours across the county to help 220 NEETs.

"It's vital to help these young people because the longer they have been inactive the harder it is to get their lives back on track.

"Then they could become vulnerable to substance misuse and homelessness.

"Oxford has one of the highest rates in the South East for young people in the NEET category getting involved in substance abuse."

The project, entitled Unlocking Potential for Oxfordshire, will receive up to £734,000 over the next three years as part of the Building Better Opportunities programme, jointly funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund.