TWENTY years ago, Blackbird Leys estate was infamous throughout the country for car crime and joyriding.

In a desperate attempt to combat the issue before it spiralled out of control, a charity was formed to get young people off the streets at night.

Now two decades later, Trax has helped more than 5,000 young people gain qualifications and get help to turn away from a life of crime.

On Friday, people gathered at the charity’s new home off Woodstock Road in Oxford to celebrate all it had achieved in that time.

Youth worker Olivia Davies said: “We are celebrating 20 years and showing off everything we can do.

“This is a brilliant place, it is unique in what it offers. We work with young people from a variety of backgrounds, not just naughty kids, not just ones in trouble with the law, but schools and other young people, too.”

Trax was set up in 1992 in response to joyriding and car crime. The idea was to provide an alternative to custodial sentences for young car offenders, so they could turn their interest in cars and bikes into something positive.

In the first few years, the charity helped reduce car offending on Oxford estates by 40 per cent.

The charity now works with more than 250 young people a year and offers qualifications in mechanics, literacy, numeracy and catering.

It also runs classes on personal development and helps youths to find jobs and courses.

Chris Harman, from Barton, was 20 when he discovered Trax one night after picking up a friend.

He is now the charity’s assistant manager and said the charity had changed his life.

He said: “I was unemployed and wandering round looking for something to do. I was doing nothing. I went to pick up a friend from TRAX and then that was it. I loved it. I became an employee after four years and here I am.”

He added: “In the beginning, the groups were 50 per cent people sent by the courts and 50 per cent just kids that the charity was trying to get off the streets at night.

“Now only five per cent of youngsters come to us from the courts and the other 95 per cent are from schools and other places.

“The emphasis is now very much on preventing people turning to crime, rather than stopping them once it has already happened.”

Helen Bates, from Abingdon, was 15 when she joined a course in mechanics in 2005. She is now the charity’s schools co-ordinator.

She said: “I loved it here. I went through a rough patch from when I was 13 because of bereavement and these people became my surrogate family.

“Some of the groups come here for a full year and you can see the progression they go through. It’s a completely unique place.”

  • Trax is currently on the hunt for sponsors. If you are interested, click on the link for more details.