Background
Community Motors CIC was a social enterprise, set up in 2014 by Elaine and Justin Cooper as a Community Interest Company, to meet two specific aims: To provide excellent motor vehicle services to the local community and to provide opportunities for young and disadvantaged people to train in useful vocational skills, in particular motor vehicle mechanics. We saw and wanted to address the career challenges of young people who are not ‘academic’, are probably not suited for University, and who are currently not well served by an education system which is primarily measured by – and hence values - academic results over practical and personal development.
Therefore, starting from an empty industrial unit, and joined by Mark and Kevin, our Garage and Training Managers, we built an enterprise from scratch which aimed to deliver practical and ethical excellence in all we did. We provided clear and consistent services and advice to our customers and alongside that offered young people the chance to gain real-world experience and accredited training in a professional working environment, working and learning alongside motivated, talented motor vehicle technicians, many of whom had overcome their own struggles when growing up.
We worked hard to run and build the organisation as well as we could, building relationships with local schools, colleges and pupil referral units, as well as many, many members of the community around us, who came to trust us with the safety and reliability of their vehicles. We won both local and national awards for the quality of our enterprise, and many positive reviews and testimonials from happy customers and trainees.
Achievements
In the time we were operating we:
- Tested, maintained and repaired almost 5,000 cars for 3,000 customers, keeping them and their passengers safe on the road and using top quality parts, fluids and materials at all times
- Treated customers fairly and provided decent value for money with all our services
- Provided good employment for twenty-two people with decent salaries, holidays, furlough terms, sickness leave, training provision and wellbeing support
- Maintained good, safe conditions of work, without unnecessary working pressures, while being as ‘eco-friendly’ as a modern garage can possibly be
- Provided multiple apprenticeship opportunities in the workshop and front office
- And – the reason for Community Motors’ existence – provided training and work experience to more than two hundred young people, who have all benefited from a supportive environment, access to experienced technicians and been given future prospects they would otherwise never have had.
However, sadly, we could not deliver our services in the way we wanted to while making the financial sums add up; indeed, we could not eventually survive without cutting corners or over-charging customers – in short becoming more like the ‘normal’ garage that we were trying so hard not to be. The period 2020 – 2022 saw multiple economic ‘headwinds’ which dealt the final blow and meant we had no choice but to close Community Motors, eventually saying goodbye to all our staff and our final customers and trainees in July 2022.
The End
When we closed, we received hundreds of messages of concern and support, underlining the value of what we had been trying to do. We also saw some of our educational partners take on the ideas of vocational training work which we believed to be so valuable, and we were pleased to be able to donate our vehicle maintenance equipment to them in order to facilitate this important activity.
We would like to say a sincere ‘thank you’ to all of our customers, staff, suppliers and friends who journeyed with us at Community Motors, and hope that the good work we did will continue to resonate and be carried forward in other ways, by other people.
Justin, Elaine, Mark, Kevin, and all the staff at Community Motors
