A visit to Trax – where young people find their path

Yesterday I joined the Lord Lieutenant on a visit to Trax, a charity that has been serving young people in Oxfordshire for more than thirty years. Founded in the early 1990s as a “motor project” to teach mechanical skills, Trax has grown into a well-established alternative education and training provider, helping young people who might otherwise struggle in mainstream settings.

Its mission is simple but profound: to support, inspire and educate, giving young people the chance to develop skills, build confidence and create pathways into further training, apprenticeships and work. For many, Trax is a fresh start — and sometimes the last chance to re-engage with learning in a way that feels relevant, practical and affirming.

One of the reasons for our visit was to mark Trax’s recent award from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Community Fund. This Fund provides grants to local projects that prevent crime, reduce reoffending, and strengthen community cohesion. It is an endorsement of the role Trax plays in giving young people purpose and diverting them from risk towards opportunity.

In the hairdressing studio, we met a young learner working closely with a member of staff, carefully colouring the hair of a client from the community. It was a striking picture: a young person, focused and intent, guided by the steady encouragement of an experienced adult, applying their learning in a professional and practical setting. The pride and concentration on the learner’s face told its own story — a new skill, a new confidence, a new future being shaped in real time.

We also visited the bike workshop, where donated and unclaimed bicycles are repaired, rebuilt and restored. Here again, the sense of purpose was palpable. Young mechanics were learning not only how to fix a machine, but also how to problem-solve, persevere and take satisfaction in a job well done.

At every turn, I was struck by the dedication of the staff. What they do is not just teaching — it is vocation. They bring patience, energy and faith to young people who may have had little of it elsewhere. Their determination to walk alongside each learner is humbling to witness.

Trax has almost outgrown its current home on the edge of Oxford. Demand is increasing, and ambitions are expanding. That is why their next chapter — the purchase and development of a new site in Kidlington — is so exciting. The move will not only give them space to expand their provision but will also enable them to build closer links with the community, schools, local employers and partners. We saw the plans, heard the vision, and felt the enthusiasm of a team determined to make it happen.

This is a charity with a strong past and an even stronger future. It was inspiring to see young people learning, staff supporting, and plans unfolding. I left with admiration for what Trax has already achieved and real anticipation for what is still to come.