GASP Hits the Road at Three Local Schools

We are delighted to continue our support for GASP, a Surrey based charity that teaches young people practical motor mechanics, by re-engaging and supporting them to a pathway of training, apprenticeships, and employment.

Working with a low ratio of students to staff, our grant of £13,200 will enable GASP to deliver their accredited Early Intervention Motor Mechanics course to three local schools, including Three Rivers Academy and North East Surrey Short Stay School.

The courses use motor mechanics as a motivator and provide an educational refuge to young people who have become disengaged with classroom learning in a mainstream setting for a range of reasons. GASP’s qualified engineers adapt their sessions according to the abilities and interests of the students and these young people often discover that they ‘can do’ and their self-esteem and concentration soars. In addition to learning practical skills and academic learning, the development of soft skills will shape how these young people work with others.

Three Rivers Academy said of a past attendee “I can think of a student that the course significantly impacted. It was the first time that he had fully engaged in something in school and was in school on time, the day the course was on. After he had completed the course he asked if the school could look into getting him onto a part-time mechanics course at Brooklands. The course had given him an opportunity to shine at something he enjoyed, and he felt confident and competent in it. It highlighted to him that he was much better at the practical side of things and his eagerness to learn and get on was rarely seen in school.”