A HUDDERSFIELD media organisation has come of age.

Beaumont Street Studios were set up 18 years ago by Huddersfield West Indian Association as a basic community music recording facility.

The studios have come a long way, becoming a thriving non-profit firm that offers film, radio and musical training, runs community projects and operates its own commercial professional recording studio.

Over the years, the studios have battled setbacks including a devastating fire at the original base, the Hudawi Centre at Great Northern Street, Huddersfield.

The firm bounced back and moved to The Media Centre in Northumberland Street. Two years ago it settled at St Peter's Street.

Amazingly, the studios have survived without ever having a fixed cash source.

The firm constantly applies for grants for individual projects and uses income from its commercial studio.

Sean Leonard, chief executive, said: "It is unusual that an organisation like us has survived."

As well as training suites, there is a radio studio where students deliver their own live broadcasts on 107.1 Creative FM and over the internet.

The students have often missed out on mainstream education or employment.

They arrive at the studios through social services, Connexions and JobCentre Plus or respond to adverts.

The range of study runs from short taster courses to A-level standard.

Youth music worker Stevo Houghton said: "It is a friendly, laid-back environment. For people here, that is great because they often have bad memories of formal education.

"We have all these wonderful facilities, but not many people know about them. We are not just about music or training, we are lots of things."

At their HD1 Studio, albums have been recorded by bands such as Embrace, Shed Seven and Chumbawamba. The group also encourages new music.

Stevo said: "We want to knit the musical community together in Huddersfield."

He said this was vital to ensure bands have venues to play, particularly when popular live music pub Abrahams closes in January.

Stevo said: "We see live music in crisis in Huddersfield then. If anyone is interested in investing in a new gig venue we would be happy to work in with them."

To specifically help musicians under 18, the studios use funding from the National Foundation of Youth Music to run the Ready To Burn project.

Sixteen bands record demo CDs in the professional studio for free and get advice from industry experts.

The studios will celebrate their success with an 18th birthday concert at The Media Centre on November 19, where Sean will revisit his own teenage years as an amateur rock guitarist.

For further information about BSS, visit www.beaumontstreet.com or call 01484 452013.