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Community Motors: a workshop that gives back by Mike Ruff, GW Editor
GW meets three dedicated individuals, each enthusiastic about the motor trade, good service and education. DESCRIBED by one customer as a “refreshing change to most garages”, Community Motors is certainly not your average set up. Justin Cooper, general manager at Community Motors, had previously worked in IT for more than twenty years before establishing Community Motors. The business opened just two years ago but it’s quickly grown to become not only a respected local garage but a valued community asset too. Explaining the move, Justin said: “I wanted to set up a social enterprise that would do some good
“Some of these guys have had a pretty rough start in life...” but would also make enough money to keep itself running. “I was particularly concerned about the future of young people in our country that aren’t necessarily academic so I turned to the motor trade because it offers young people an opportunity to develop practical skills in an exciting and fast paced field.”
Registered with the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies, Community Motors offers its customers servicing, repairs and MOTs on the one side of the workshop and level one motor vehicle studies on the other. Training manager, Kevin Martin said: “We provide 14-18 year-old students access to a fully equipped training facility that’s been established alongside a working garage workshop. “Our students get the best of both worlds because they get to see customers come and go,
they get a feel for the whole experience.” The kind-hearted technicians of Community Motors each muck in to offer students advice and share experiences. “We’re giving them skills that will hopefully see them through a worthwhile career in the motor trade,” Kevin explained. “It’s also about giving them confidence and an opportunity for positive interaction with adults. “Some of these guys have had a pretty rough start in life and maybe a little bit of respite from the world they are in. “It's something I experienced when I was their age.
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