SKIDZ Partnership with Amersham and Wycombe College

SIDZ is delighted to announce it will be working in partnership with Amersham and Wycombe College to deliver IMI Level 1 Diploma courses in Motor Vehicle Studies from September 2013. This means we are able to offer vocational studies for post-16 young people here in our workshops. It is an exciting development for all concerned and will give young people in the area new opportunities to gain meaningful qualifications leading to employment. Our experienced staff will be delivering the courses.

Amersham and Wycombe College will be advertising the courses in their usual marketing material and will be handling the applications for places. However, we can be contacted directly if you require further information.

We are looking forward to working with the College as well as continuing to work with young people in our area.

Steve Godfrey
Programme Director

Rally driving legend Paddy Hopkirk is campaigning for stricter rules to be introduced to clamp down on ‘gangsters’ and on-line fraudsters dealing in bogus number plates.

Paddy, who famously won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 in a Mini Cooper S, leading to the Mini becoming an iconic British motor car, says that sales of rogue number registration plates is costing the industry millions of pounds in lost revenue each year, and causing massive problems for police, insurers and the road licensing authorities.

Since his retirement from rally driving, Paddy has taken a special interest in motor car security – playing a leading role in the promotion of locking wheel-nut systems which all the mainstream manufacturers have introduced on vehicles.

He says: “Statistics from the Metropolitan Police and DVLA show that number plate crime is increasing at an alarming rate. Gangsters can easily obtain false plates. Numerous on-line sites are now providing plates to the general public without carrying out the appropriate checks to ensure the plate purchaser is the legitimate owner of the vehicle. The whole system is in a complete mess.”

Paddy says there are more than 42,000 registered number plate makers in the UK compared with 2,000 in Germany and around 300 in Holland.  “In many European countries Governments have strict rules governing the provision of number plates, but in the UK virtually anyone can purchase a licence for £40 and become officially authorised to produce plates.  It’s become a big business worth tens of millions of pounds but it means it is incredibly difficult to ensure plates are not being falsely produced for criminal purposes.”

He says that since number plates have switched from metal to acrylic, it has made it even easier for unscrupulous people to access components and printers to create false plates.

Paddy is urging the UK Government to introduce a new-style number plate with a ‘credit-card style’ chip or pin incorporated into each plate to ensure a far more secure system. He also believes the number of production licences should be dramatically reduced to enable the authorities to carry out far more rigorous inspections on suppliers.

Paddy highlighted the issue in a speech to the 2013 National Vehicle Crime Conference held at Loughborough University and hosted by the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators on June 12/13. The conference attracts police and government agency representatives from around the world with key players from the motorcycle, road haulage, leisure, plant, salvage, insurance and motor industry.

Illustrating how easy it is to obtain a set of number plates, Paddy has revealed how he recently purchased plates from a website which purported to be operating from the Republic of Ireland, and therefore outside of UK jurisdiction.  However, payment was made in sterling and when the plates arrived they had been posted from Liverpool.

Paddy says:  “When purchasing a number plate you’re supposed to produce identity documents, such as a driving licence, passport or utility bill and also proof that you actually own the registration number, such as a Vehicle Registration Certificate. With more than 42,000 bodies licensed to produce plates in the UK, and with so many on-line outlets, these document checks are not being carried out properly.

“The whole system is a complete mess and in urgent need of an overhaul.  Ideally a new style number plate, incorporating a unique chip or pin, should be introduced and these could also be used to replace the out-dated tax disc system too.”

Paddy is Patron of the charity SKIDZ, a motor project that gives young people a chance to gain vocational skills in motor mechanics and which helps disadvantaged and vulnerable youngsters. SKIDZ relies on support from grants and donations and now the charity has secured a licence to produce its own number plates.

SKIDZ has linked up with a Spanish business to offer motor manufacturers a more secure and sophisticated form of acrylic number plate or European alternative with proceeds from sales being channelled back to fund the motor project.  SKIDZ was launched in High Wycombe in 1998 in response to a surge in car crime in the area and has since evolved into an important educational programme offering motor courses to schools and colleges locally.  SKIDZ hopes to extend its operation nationally in the future with the number plate business helping to fund expansion and pay for more full-time trainers.

The charity’s existing six full-time trainers currently provide courses for 300 students, aged from 13-19 years, each week and have helped around 8,000 young people since its launch.

To find out more about SKIDZ and how to get involved or make a donation visit: www.SKIDZ.org.uk

Mr Hopkirk, who won multiple championships in a Mini Cooper, and policeman-turned-artist Fran Richley handed over the paintings of the driver with navigator Ron Crellin to the Skidz Motor Project on Monday.

The pieces will be sold off to raise funds for the charity, which offers support and gives training to youngsters to help them find employment.

Mr Hopkirk, a Bucks resident and patron of Skidz, said: “It was nice to meet Fran and see his wonderful paintings.

Mr Richley, who worked on Thames Valley Police’s traffic department before switching careers to paint, is now working closely with Skidz.

Emma Louise Singh from the project said: “SKIDZ supports a wide range of young people who are struggling in mainstream education. “Our courses help create pathways into employment, further education or training for those who would otherwise be left out and left behind in life. “We are extremely grateful for Paddy and Fran’s support, which we hope can help us raise much needed funds that will enable young people in Buckinghamshire to reach their full potential in life.”

Almost 20 youngsters from South Bucks signed up to take part in the project, which saw them building remote controlled cars and racing them against one another on the final day.  Teams pitted it out against one another to build their cars in time for the big race on the Friday.

The week kicked off with a special treat for the students with a donation of a sausage and chip lunch on the Monday, provided by Frackle Fryers in Flackwell Heath to mark National Chip week.  On Thursday a number of VIP visitors dropped in to see the project in action.  Among them was The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire and High Sheriff Of Buckinghamshire Consort, The Mayor of High Wycombe and Councillor Martin Phillips from Bucks County Council who were funding the project.

On the final day of the project, all the youngster’s hard work paid off, when they were able to race their finished cars at the Wycombe Remote control Car Club race track.  The proud winner received a cup and all participants received a well-earned certificate for their achievements.
SKIDZ plans to run an Easter and Summer Holiday Project later in the year and is currently looking for sponsors.  So if you or your company would like to sponsor a project, please contact Emma-Louise Singh for more details.

6th December 2012, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire… The Duke of Gloucester presented APMGwith a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade Category on December 5th 2012 at the company’s HQ in High Wycombe. The Award recognizes outstanding continuous performance over the last six years.

APMG manages qualification schemes for professionals and accredits training organizations to deliver the associated courses. It has seen rapid international growth over the last six years. It now has representatives in twelve countries and examinations in 21 languages.

HRH the Duke of Gloucester was received by Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher Bt JP, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, who said that winning a Queen’s Award was a real achievement for APMG.

Richard Pharro, CEO, APMG, thanked HRH and the Lord Lieutenant. He said, “It is an honour to be presented with the Queen’s Award and it is testament to all the hard work of our staff.”

Richard explained that he wanted to celebrate by making a donation to a local charity. SKIDZ was chosen because it strives to improve the prospects of young people. Further, APMG is committing to develop a proactive working partnership with Skidz to provide support for its activities and future plans.

Graham Andrews, CEO of SKIDZ, accepted the donation of £5000. He said, “I extend my sincere congratulations to APMG on its Queen’s Award, and thank Richard and all the staff for this donation. We rely heavily on donations such as this, so it is much appreciated. I look forward to working with APMG and hope it will develop into something much bigger and be around for a long time to come and become the model for the Third Sector.”

APMG can now use the Queen’s Award Emblem until 20 April 2017.

hofmanns and skidz

The dealership will be helping the charity with publicity, fundraising and some work experience opportunities for their students.  Hofmann’s Motorsport, the team associated with Hofmann’s of Henley, will be publicising the work of the charity through their efforts in endurance racing, predominantly in the 24 Hour Series and Historic Racing series.

The first fundraiser will be held in the Marketplace of Henley Town Centre on Wednesday 13^th February.  They will be bringing one of our Group C Le Mans Cars down to display while meeting people from the local area to talk to them about the work of this fantastic charity.

The team will continue to support the charity as they follow their expansion plans into other Endurance Racing series over the next few years.

SKIDZ CEO, Graham Andrews said, “We are delighted and honoured to be chosen as Hofmann’s charity partner.  We look forward to working closely with Hofmann’s of Henley over the coming year to bring significant opportunities to the young people we work with.”

68% of our students have learning difficulties and of these 38% have Statements of Educational Need (SEN).

Over a period of 4 years 87% are in Employment, Education, or Training (EET). The National figure of those Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET) is over 1 million. The statistics show very convincingly that SKIDZ has a very pro-active method of inspiring young people to progress into further education or employment. Further details are available from SKIDZ or on our website www.skidz.org.uk.

Destination of Leavers 2009 to 2012

Instructors and staff at SKIDZ work patiently and positively to engage young people in learning vocational and employability skills within our workshops which give the young people a positive future. These statistics show it is working.

Visit SKIDZ’s E-store at Spend and Raise and choose from hundreds of brands, including Amazon, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Expedia and many, many more.  For every shop you do through the e-store, SKIDZ will receive a small donation to go towards our vital work.

Perfect for Christmas Shopping, Holidays or your weekly food shop and so easy!

Start raising funds today by going online to http://www.spendandraise.com/skidz/

In the early 1900′s, Kop Hill Climb was one of the most popular hill climbs in the country for cars and motorcycles.  Thousands of spectators flocked into Princes Risborough to see in action Malcolm Campbell, Raymond Mays and Henry Segrave in their cars and, the fastest man up the hill, Freddie Dixon on his Douglas motorcycle.

Since its revival in 2009 this commemorative event is now a fixture on the historic motor sport calendar.  Last year was a record breaker with over 400 historic vehicles running the hill, a further 200 were on display in the paddock with a delighted crowd of over 12,000 spectators.

SKIDZ is delighted to once again have the opportunity to man a stand in the Paddock, where we will have an on the day raffle and some free prize draws.

For more information about joining us visit Kop Hill Climb

HR Advantage is one of the leading UK providers of flexible and practical human resource services and has recently announced new expansion with its recent acquisition of payroll specialists and Adhere Training which is regionally as the expert in the provision of business training for small to medium businesses.

In addition to business needs, HR Advantage is passionate about giving back to the local community and is delighted to announce their chosen charity of the year as SKIDZ.  HR Advantage will be donating their time, services and hoping to raise vital funds for the charity.  Sam Barnes, Business Development Manager of HR Advantage says: “As a business HR Advantage is all about finding the right people for the right job with relevant skills and great motivation.  SKIDZ helps young people develop their skills with motor vehicles, is hugely motivating and can boast a string of successes in getting their students into the right jobs, so it’s just a great fit!”.

Emma-Louise Singh, Head of Fundraising of SKIDZ says: “SKIDZ are delighted to be the chosen charity of the year and are set to benefit greatly from HR Advantage’s time and expertise over the next 12 months.  We look forward to working closely with HR Advantage to raise vital funds, which will enable us to help disadvantaged young people to gain the skills and confidence they need to get ahead in life.”

If your company is interested in supporting SKIDZ then click here for more information.