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The Salvation Army New Zealand Trust

The first South Island Community Driver Mentor Programme hosted by The Salvation Army, in collaboration with NZTA, Chevron, Christchurch Police and Gary Cockram Hyundai, in Christchurch commenced in June 2014. The initiative is primarily focused on giving inexperienced drivers with barriers access to resources and support so that they can gain driving experience and practice to pass their restricted license. We work with young adults that come from criminal family backgrounds, poverty, cultural disparities and self-confidence difficulties. The common goal with all our learner drivers is focused on driving skills however the individual journeys with their mentor has life changing transformations. Through the programme each learner driver has one on one support from their mentor and support from the programme coordinator. When we become aware of issues within their life that is affecting their commitment or focus we look to ways we can help. Through the programme we instill the values of taking responsibility, having commitment, being on time, communication and respect. The driving sessions include being aware of others, patience and safe driving. Gaining their restricted has led to employment, new course careers and being an important family contributor for many of the programmes learners. At the end of each twelve week programme we celebrate the journeys with a gathering for the learner drivers, mentors their friends and family with our sponsors. It is transforming lives. As a mentor you will receive a 2 hour training session, with ongoing support from the Programme’s Coordinator. Each mentor provides their learner driver with two one hour practice sessions each week in our car provided by our sponsor Gary Cockram. In this way you as a mentor help foster positive habits that will have long term benefits for the learner driver. The hours are made flexible to suit the mentors timetable. On average each programme lasts approximately 12 weeks. All learner drivers come with a minimum of 20-25 hours driving experience and have an initial professional instructor lesson and assessment.