Marque donates car to trust

Mazda has donated an electric car to assist people in rural communities trying to obtain their driver licences.

It has handed over an MX-30 to the Outwest Youth Community Trust, which has been instrumental in helping about 1,150 motorists pass their tests over the past 10 years.

The organisation, which is based in Helensville, about 40km north of Auckland, launched a Givealittle campaign to help raise money to replace its Demio.

David Hodge, managing director of Mazda Motors of NZ, says: “When we heard about the circumstances around Outwest’s training car, our team started thinking of ways to assist.

“For us it has been about ensuring the Drive Outwest programme can continue operating in a way that most supports the trust and community. 

“We realised the extent of the demand for licence support and that Outwest Youth didn’t just need a replacement car, it needed an additional one.”

As part of an agreement with Mazda, an MX-30 is joining Outwest Youth’s operational fleet. Primarily to be used to support more advanced lessons in Drive Outwest’s programme, it will also be used by staff for trust activities.

Hodge adds the success of the Givealittle campaign will enable it to buy an extra training car to support the growing need for driver education.

Naomi Bartley, Outwest Youth’s general manager, says: “We’ve been blown away by the generosity of Mazda. We are also so grateful for the response to our fundraising efforts, especially from our local community.

“For a small town like ours, it’s exciting our story has spread nationally. Mazda’s donation allows us to keep the programme on the road and gives students exposure to some of the latest technology that’s becoming commonplace in modern cars.

“We will also use the MX-30 for general operations as we cover a wide area of South Kaipara, so having an EV lowers our emissions and running costs.”