Driving For Change

Cars For Community Brings New Wheels To Collinsville Youth Coalition

The Cars for Community initiative is revving up real-world learning and making a meaningful difference, proving that it’s much more than just a car giveaway.

Now in its third year, the program sees students spend the school year restoring donated or purchased vehicles, bringing them up to roadworthy condition before gifting them to local not-for-profit organisations in need.

Automotive Trainer Simon Korneliussen shared that the program is as much about education as it is about giving back to the community.

“We receive cars that have either been purchased or donated, and we work with our students throughout the year to restore them to roadworthy condition,” he explained.

“Once they’re ready, we pass them on to organisations that can truly benefit from them.”

The most recent handover saw a restored vehicle delivered to the Collinsville Youth Coalition. Originally purchased for $600, the car required significant repairs before it could be deemed roadworthy.

“This one’s been a long time coming — it needed quite a bit of work,” Mr Korneliussen explained, reflecting on the time and effort invested in the project.

The initiative offers dual benefits, where students gain hands-on mechanical experience and valuable teamwork skills, while local community organisations receive much-needed assets that can make a tangible difference.

For student Stathi Kypridis, the project has been a rewarding experience.

“It feels great, to be honest,” he said.

“It’s really rewarding to see something we worked on go to someone who needs it, and I’ve definitely learnt a lot about cars and tools.”

Sixteen-year-old Amelia Dos Santos added that the experience was both challenging and educational.

“Knowing the car was going to people who need it made us want to work even harder,” she said.

“It was a challenge, but working with the other students and asking questions really helped.”

For the Collinsville Youth Coalition, the donation will have a big impact.

“We do a lot of transporting gear to and from events,” said Youth Activities Coordinator Luella Widt.

“We didn’t have a vehicle that could support moving larger items — now we can do everything ourselves.

“There’s really no price on that kind of independence.”

The initiative wouldn’t be possible without the support of generous local sponsors, including Repco, OGR Tyres, DC Power, and Bakers Creek Wreckers.

“We couldn’t run this initiative without our sponsors,” Mr Korneliussen said.

“It’s all about building relationships with the community and creating pathways into the automotive industry for our students.”

With more vehicles in the pipeline and students gaining industry-relevant skills, the Cars for Community initiative is proving to be a powerful engine for change — both in the classroom and across the region.

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Cars for Community gifted a fully restored vehicle to the Collinsville Youth Coalition, giving students hands-on automotive experience while empowering a local organisation with vital transport support.

Automotive Trainer Simon Korneliussen

Work experience student, Stathi Kypridis

Youth Activities Coordinator Luella Widt. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara

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