THE BANBURY MOTOR PROJECT LIMITED
SUPPORT, EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR A BETTER FUTURE
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SKIDZ The Banbury Motor Project Ltd has been in business since the summer of 2004, following the success of SKIDZ High Wycombe who started business in 1998. SKIDZ of Aylesbury opened in January 2005 and SKIDZ Reading opened in October 2006.
The keys to the Banbury unit were received in June 2004 and we have been successfully administering courses to our young people since September 2004. We are very proud of the fact that we now have a modern, well equipped workshop in a central location, making access very easy for all of our customers. At this moment in time we employ a full time manager, two full time tutors and one part time office administrator.
We are very fortunate to receive a huge amount of support in the community and from our colleagues in High Wycombe; however what we need now is additional funding, this being the main reason for our official opening, to get us known and on the map so to speak. We are determined that this project is going to work and to go on to become a bigger success than it already is and at some point to be able to be totally self funding.
Aims
Our main aims are to instruct our students into the workings of motor cars and motorbikes, to educate them in the world of Health & Safety, including a module on the safe use of compressed air and to show them what it is like to work in a garage environment. We strive to instil team work and ensure that every student is treated with respect by all of our staff and by each other; in return we expect them to be respectful back. We make it absolutely clear that we will not tolerate bullying or indeed any form of criticism to their peers, instead they must help those who are less academic in the class room.
We endeavour to increase personal self esteem and praise achievement but at the same time, point out any weakness or bad behaviour. We instruct in computer skills and on occasions discover that our pupils instruct us, to the younger generation IT skills seem to be second nature. With our Responsible Road User course we develop their road safety skills and with the aid of computer software we all sit the Driving Theory Test, in general they are a shocked as to just how little they know. We are an equal opportunities organisation, our policy is to treat every one the same regardless of their race, sex, religion, criminal convictions or the colour of their skin.
What we do
Up to May 2005 we were accommodating seventy students a week; we have also handled around a further forty, for shorter periods. In March 2005 we were approached by Oxford & Cherwell Valley College and asked if we could accommodate thirty three of their engineering students. They were having staffing issues and were in difficulty. The team all agreed it would be hard but it would generate much needed funds. All went well and we accommodated their young people for almost three months in total. At the end of January 2006 we are accommodating over 100 students a week, and there is more interest.
Students are referred to us by variety of schools and youth organisations, at present we work with young people from Northampton to the north and as far south as Didcot in Oxfordshire. We provide a course in practical skills and another at WJEC entry level in road user studies, this being a two year course and the former can be tailored to the pupil’s needs and abilities. This will lead our students on to NVQ level 1 in Health & Safety, safe use of compressed air and if they are deserving, a reference from the manager.
We work with young people from the ages of 12 to 25 years and in the near future we are considering providing the local community with an evening course for the more mature student, on the workings of a motor car. We have the capacity to accommodate two groups at a time, each containing eight pupils.
Registered Charity Number:
1107359