General News
8 August, 2023
Donation drives on-road education
A CLUB of motoring enthusiasts has made a generous donation to support disadvantaged youth who are learning to drive safely.
A CLUB of motoring enthusiasts has made a generous donation to support disadvantaged youth who are learning to drive safely.
Members of the Western Victorian Holden Car Club raised $2000 in support of young drivers who benefit from the services of the Corangamite L2P program.
The program gives drivers aged 16-21, who do not have access to a supervised driver or roadworthy vehicle, the opportunity to get behind the wheel with an experienced mentor in a reliable, safe vehicle.
Western Victorian Holden Car Club vice president Ken Plummer said the funds were raised earlier this year at the club’s 11th annual Show ‘N Shine event in March.
Gold coin donations contributed around $1500, but club members chipped in to round up the total.
Members of the club visited Terang and Mortlake Health Service (TMHS) recently, which provides the program in the Corangamite area, to officially make the donation.
“The L2P program is a great asset to Corangamite Shire, so we felt it was appropriate as a car club,” Mr Plummer said.
“We also have a member who was a L2P mentor at one stage; they’re volunteers, so it’s a great cause for us to support.
“The club members wanted to boost the funds raised up to $2000 to help with some of the costs involved, so we were more than happy to help out.”
The L2P program has been supported through TAC funding but is reliant on support from volunteer mentors and philanthropic support alike.
TMHS L2P co-ordinator Sally Buckland thanked the Western Victorian Holden Car Club for its donation.
“It’s amazing,” she said.
“For such a small community this goes a long way towards supporting our young drivers learning safely with our mentors.
“Hopefully down the track we can upgrade the cars in our fleet.
“The program is about learner drivers who are having trouble getting their 120 hours of experience due to lack of access to a suitable car or a driver to learn from, so having support to ensure we can
provide that assistance means so much.”
Camperdown’s Enzo Nolan is among the young drivers taking advantage of the L2P program, and enjoying the benefits on offer.
“I’m learning how to drive safely, both day and night, and learning about all the road signs and how cars work out on the road,” he said.
“The program has been very beneficial; I had nobody to do my hours with, so this program has helped me to get my hours up.”