Learn Motor Skills

Last year The Wheels Project celebrated its 30th year and has played a significant role in providing training and counselling in employment, road safety and crime reduction. We are a registered charity based in Brislington and were set up through a partnership between the Constabulary, Probation and Social services. Over the years we have extended this partnership to The Prison Service, Schools, Pupil Referral Units, Youth Inclusion Programmes, Learning Partnership West, CYPS and many third sector organisations based in and around Bristol.

The young people with whom we work live mostly in the socially deprived areas of Bristol but we also accept referrals from groups based in surrounding areas such as the Unitary Authorities in BANES, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.

We target pre formed groups of 13 - 24 year olds attached to local community groups whose individuals may be disaffected, low achievers, truanting or unemployed and at risk of committing crime or being involved in a road traffic collision leading to death or serious injury.  We may also accept referrals for individuals.

Our activities are practical, hands on and the majority of our programme delivery is based in our motor vehicle workshops.

It is very likely that most of these learners will be experiencing many social problems and our activities are aimed at developing their social and life skills.

Many of our learners experience difficulties with basic skills in reading, writing and arithmetic and our programmes enable many of these skills to be learnt through embedded activities in our workshop pitched at an appropriate level.

We have worked with over 1000s of young people who have really engaged with us (85% attendance levels) and gained raised self esteem, self confidence, skills to prepare for work and nationally accredited qualifications. Young people and their Key Workers report back consistently on how our work has helped to breathe fresh hope into their lives.

And the story hasn’t just been about them. These students have completed the restoration of 25 vehicles which they have gifted to a wide range of community groups around the city such as Community Transport, mountain rescue services on the Mendips and vehicles for community farms. Our Pre CBT mopeds courses for new moped riders has helped to reduce the numbers of deaths or serious injuries involving new riders (a group shown to be the most vulnerable on our highways) and our work in prisons is helping to support offenders away from crime and into employment or training.