Young people with a mind for mechanics will be able to accelerate their reading skills thanks to a cash grant.

Oxford charity Trax works with teenagers from deprived areas who have an interest in cars, motorbikes and mopeds.

But it has been turning its attention to literacy and numeracy recently - and this looks set to continue after the Midcounties Co-op donated £780 to help buy books.

The books are part of the charity's Wheels to Work project, which aims to help the 40 youngsters aged 13 to 19 gain skills in reading and mathematics and help them find jobs.

Project manager Tamsin Jones said: "The books will be ideal because they are written specially for this age group. With the Co-op's help we are helping the youngsters to help themselves."

The charity, based in Osney Mead, is also employing a literacy and numeracy teacher.

Ms Jones said: "A lot of the young people we work with are struggling with key skills and they can find reading difficult.

"With this money we will be able to buy books of varying standards of difficulty which they relate to a lot more than a regular text- book."

Trax was set up to complement mainstream education and provide extra-curricular activities.

The work improves youngsters' self-esteem and social skills and teaches them practical skills about motors and motor mechanics.

Barbara Dunne, of The Midcounties Co-operative, said: "Trax is an unusual and very successful project which has helped many young people find an outlet for their passion for cars.

"As a co-operative with many links in and around the local community we were keen to help them buy the books they needed to set up the Wheels to Work campaign. We hope it is a great success."