'Inspiring' Aylesbury youth charity receives £10k boost from Thames Valley Police chief

An Aylesbury charity has received a £10,000 boost from the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner.

Commissioner Matthew Barber visited the Aylesbury Youth Motor Project, after granting thousands to the not-for-profit organisation.

AYMP provides vocational training to young people aged between 12-16 with a focus on the less advantaged, those at risk and youth offenders.

They work with between 40-60 students per term most of whom are not engaged with traditional education and have been referred by local schools and colleges, Special Educational Needs settings, local authorities or PCSOs, to help them achieve an Institute of the Motor Industry approved qualification.

It is ran from a traditional garage in the Bucks town which offers repairs, servicing, MOTs and tyre replacement.

Youngsters get hands on experience dealing with real cars, troubleshooting, and repairs, meaning students gain real-world experiences whilst achieving a qualification.

AYMP is split between the workshop and the classroom, with 75 per cent of learning taking place at the former.

All courses are run by qualified instructors. AYMP offers four entry-level courses, providing a platform for students to find work in the motor industry.

Money given from the commissioner has been used to purchase new materials for their workshop including a wheel balancer, tyre machine and pressure tester, smoke machine for leaks in turbos and a new vehicle ramp.

PCC Barber said: “It was a pleasure to meet Rob and the AYMP team and learn more about their inspiring work with young people. We know traditional classroom education does not suit all young people, so it is important that alternative options like AYMP exist to give young people another route and keep them from falling into crime. It was also great to hear that AYMP has a strong relationship with their local PCSO’s as this will help to build young people’s trust and confidence in the police.

I’m delighted to have been able to support the work of AYMP with a £10,000 grant from my Community Fund and I wish Rob and the team all the best with their future work.”