Porsche Pledges £375,000 Donation to Skidz

Porsche this week celebrated its formal victory in its legal campaign to prevent the introduction of a £25 congestion charge on larger vehicles driving in London by presenting its award of legal costs to Skidz, a charity devoted to training at-risk young people in mechanical skills and maintenance.

A cheque for £375,000 was presented by Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars GB, to Steve Godfrey, Project Director at Skidz, at a ceremony at Porsche Centre Mayfair, in the heart of the capital.

"We were always confident that our legal case was right and that we would win in the end," said Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars Great Britain. "The proposal was unfair, disproportionate and we had evidence that this change would actually increase emissions in London. We were delighted to be awarded the legal fees involved in this case, and for us it instantly became clear that this money should be invested back into the capital in a positive way."

Goss added; "By taking the benefits from tackling one major London issue, we now feel we can help tackle another, which is helping to give young people a focus and a chance to channel themselves in a positive direction. In Skidz, we believe that we have found a fantastic charity to help us deliver on our commitment."

Skidz, which has a proven success record of working with at-risk young people to provide them with the mechanical skills and training that can lead to improved employment prospects as well as providing a learning environment to improve confidence and self-esteem. Skidz, which already operates five programmes across England, will use the funding over a three year investment period to launch a new London-based branch in the Borough of Hillingdon.

Steve Godfrey, Project Director at Skidz, said; "We are hugely grateful for this sizeable donation from Porsche. This support has enabled us to turn our plans for a London-based project into a reality and will allow us to reach young people in the Capital for the first time. We are looking forward to long-term relationship with Porsche."

The new programme, called Skidz - The Hillingdon Motor Project, will be based at West Drayton Young People's Centre, aims to educate young people aged 13-19 who live or go to school in Hillingdon in road-related safety issues. It will also provide valuable opportunities for young people interested in apprenticeships and careers in the motor trade.