Tell us a little about yourself as the man behind this charity?
I am a local lad born and brought up in Kiddermister and am married to Kate with three children, Thomas, Dominic and Thea (& Bo the Flat Coat). On leaving school I trained in retail management working for several major electrical retailers and then went on to work as a Sales manager for a local office equipment company.
Moving to Bromsgrove I became involved with my local Church and ran a Youth group which lead to the call to ordination within the Church of England. I was ordained in July 1996 and served my curacy at St Stephen’s in Barbourne, Worcester and it was during this time that I became involved with chaplaincy to the Police.
I them moved to become Vicar of St George with St Mary Magdalene in Worcester during which time I aIso served as chaplain to Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service and the Royal Grammar School Worcester.
My work with young people and the emergency services lead to an approach by the local police to set up a youth group for young people within a socially deprived area of the city.
It very quickly became apparent that there was a need for a more specialised vehicle project within Worcestershire and working in partnership with, the Diocese of Worcester, West Mercia Police and the Youth Offending Service, I established Motov8 (then known as the Dragon Project) in an effort to divert young people from criminal and anti-social behaviours.
In 2005 I was appointed full time Chaplain Thames Valley and moved to Oxford, continuing to run the ever expanding Motov8 charity in my spare time. In 2007, the charity had grown to such an extent that I joined it on a full time basis continuing to carry out my priestly ministry in the villages surrounding Worcester on a voluntary basis.
What was the primary reason you decided to start motov8?
Having worked closely with the Police and Fire Service and witnessed a number of negative even tragic situations involving young people, I wanted to help provide young people with the opportunity to engage in positive activities especially around motor vehicles.
How long has motov8 been in operation?
The charity started as ‘The Dragon Project' in 2002 and was established as 'motov8' (Registered charity) in 2004.
What are your current goals for motov8 for the coming year?
We would like to continue to expand opportunities for young people and equip them with the tools required for a successful working life. We would also like to continue to expand our progression pathways within Motor Vehicle, particularly in respect to setting up a new centre to deliver level 3 courses.
How many students are currently part of the motov8 project?
Approximately 250
How many staff / volunteers are part of the motov8 project ?
11 staff and 3 volunteers
Can you give examples of some of the activities that take place?
We re-engage young people with education through practical hands on activities based around motor vehicles. Young people from the age of 14 onwards undertake Institute of the Motor Industry courses in Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair from entry level through to full level 2. All of our activities have a heavy emphasis on addressing the underlying issues that cause young people to disengage from education and become involved in negative behaviour.
Are there any success stories that particularly stand out?
We have seen a constant increase in demand for our provision and now have 3 centres in Worcester, Kidderminster and Hereford. We have developed close links with Kidderminster College and this partnership has enabled new and innovative approaches to maximizing young people’s progression opportunities. We have seen a growth of more than 400% in our progress from Level 1 to Level 2 courses in only 2 years!
Over recent years the charity has been privileged to be the subject of a television news report about its activities and received a visit by the Duchess of Gloucester in recognition of our work.
In the 2009 Institute of the Motor Industry Outstanding Achievers Awards, a motov8 learner won student of the year in the Fast Fit category and motov8 was awarded a commendation in the Centre of the Year category. This success was followed by one of our learners achieving runner up in the Young Learners of the Year category at the 2010 awards ceremony.
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