Mechanix saw a group of young people aged 14-17 with no prior car mechanic experience challenged to bring a 1999 Ford Fiesta Ghia up to MOT level during evening courses between January and July 2017. The successfully restored Fiesta has now achieved its MOT.

The students used iconic Haynes manuals as their guide as they repaired the Fiesta in a working garage in Dibden, learning essential car maintenance activities and carrying out practical MOT test procedures in the process.

All students attained an Entry Level Award in Personal and Social Development for the Automotive Environment (Level 3) from the Institute of the Motor Industry upon completing the course.

Local vocational centre Totton College guaranteed that all Mechanix students who passed the course could progress to an interview for Higher Level mechanics courses, providing them with an opportunity to develop their skills further and become professional mechanics.
This Mechanix course was organised by St Andrew’s & All Saints’ Church in Dibden and the Haynes Group, which initially created the Mechanix concept in 2014 and has now run several courses with local youth groups. Major local businesses including ExxonMobil Fawley, Draper Tools, and Shawfix Autos played a pivotal role in supporting the course as did local Rotary and Lions clubs.

Commenting on the Mechanix award ceremony, J Haynes, Chief Executive Officer, Haynes Group PLC, said: “A prize giving ceremony celebrating the students who have successfully completed the Mechanix course illustrates the value of practical skills learning. The Mechanix programme is designed to give young people belief in themselves by providing them with the skill sets necessary to successfully carry out meaningful practical tasks. The linking of core learning to practical outcomes is central to the Mechanix ethos. It is a challenging programme that requires commitment to complete, and it has been fantastic to see the students perform so well over the last six months. Everyone at Haynes would like to congratulate the successful participants, and we’re delighted that they all attained Institute of the Motor Industry qualifications. I would like to thank our partners for their help in ensuring that this Mechanix course in Dibden was such a great success.”

Lord Montagu at The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu said: “We have been delighted to host the presentation at the National Motor Museum, the home of motoring history in Britain. The course has offered a great opportunity for students to learn new skills and a worthy scheme to become involved with.”

Angharad Vaughan, Community Affairs Adviser at ExxonMobil Fawley, said: “The project has been a huge success for all those involved and the students have gained so much knowledge during the last few months. These aspiring mechanics now have a much better understanding of the skills they need to be able to pursue a career in the motor industry. We wish them the very best of luck for the future.”

Clive Richardson, Marketing Director at Draper Tools, said: “After our ongoing support of the Haynes Mechanix projects in Islington London, we were delighted to find out that the first project outside of London was to be held in Dibden Purlieu, located only 30 minutes from Draper Tools head office in Chandler’s Ford. It feels very rewarding knowing our tools have been used to help the students earn a valuable qualification, acquire skills for life and learn the essential, practical aspects of maintaining and repairing a car for MOT. We wish the best for all the students involved in the future.”

Rev. John Currin, Rector, St Andrew’s & All Saints’ Dibden, said: “It appears to me that at its heart Mechanix has a core value: Leaving things better than you find them. This is true of the vehicle which through the efforts of all involved now has an MOT and is therefore useable and useful. It is also true for the young people who have achieved a qualification and benefited in other perhaps less tangible but no less valuable ways. Working with others to leave things better than you find them is an inspirational attitude that has the capacity to unlock so much potential. I feel all concerned have much to be proud of and to celebrate.”

Reuben Shaw, Director, Shawfix Autos, said: “We are really pleased that these students have stuck with the course and got their qualifications. Over the last months, they have gained several practical skills and learnt about team work. The personal development goals that they each achieved are a real credit to them. I’d like to thank the volunteers, parents and sponsors who have shown great support to these students.”

About Haynes Group

Haynes creates practical maintenance and repair information for consumers and professional mechanics in print and digital formats.

Haynes manuals are based on a practical ‘hands on’ approach designed to help consumers understand, maintain and repair their vehicles. The Haynes team disassemble each vehicle, take extensive photographs and notes and create step-by-step procedures showing car owners how to complete a given task. For a car manual, it takes three to six months from the start of a project to the final publication; writing the text alone takes 20 to 30 man weeks.

HaynesPro is the European market leader in online technical information for the automotive aftermarket, andenable independent professional mechanics to access reliable and accurate vehicle diagnostic, maintenance and repair information. As an official publisher of technical data, HaynesPro provides digital data based on OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) information. The company has always lead the way in developing innovative IT solutions, and were the first organisation to distribute automotive data via web services.

About The National Motor Museum

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu boasts one of the finest collections of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia in the world. With over 250 historic vehicles on display and numerous exhibitions from Land Speed Record breakers to the World of Top Gear, Beaulieu tells the story from the pioneering dawn of motoring to the present day.

About ExxonMobil, Fawley

ExxonMobil at Fawley is the collective name given to Esso Petroleum Company Limited and ExxonMobil Chemical Limited which are part of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
The Fawley refinery is the largest in the UK. Approximately one in six cars in the UK operates on fuel produced at Fawley. Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world’s leading publicly-traded petroleum and natural gas company.
Approximately 75,000 employees work for ExxonMobil across six continents with more than 1,000 employees working at Fawley.
Over the past six years, ExxonMobil, Fawley has contributed in excess of £1m in community support.

About Draper Tools

Draper Tools has over 98 years of service, growth and expansion and offers one of the most complete programmes of hand and power tools available from one company. Vigorous testing and evaluation is performed on our products at all stages of production to ensure compliance to applicable standards ensuring we constantly maintain a level of quality you can put your trust in. The company has a core range of products for the automotive industry including socket sets, hydraulic lifting equipment, body repair tools and diagnostic equipment. Our products all come with the backup of the Draper Tools guarantee, from a company that prides itself in the quality of its products.

About Shawfix Autos

Shawfix Autos is an independent garage offering customers in Dibden, Hythe and Waterside area MOT tests, car servicing and repair and tyre fitting as well as bodywork repairs. Established in 2010, the team has a wealth of experience and aims to provide excellent customer service and value.

About The Lions

Lions Clubs International are great supporters of Youth Projects worldwide, and have launched schemes such asthe Young Leaders in Service and Young Ambassadorsthat encourage young people to volunteer. Our local club, Hythe and Waterside Lions, were very interested in this Mechanix project and delighted to contribute to it, as an excellent means of assisting local young people with their future by providing them with useful skills.