Another Successful Under-17 Car Club (Pathfinder) Week at Rufforth Aerodrome

The Easter 2025 course took place from Monday 7th to Friday 11th April at Rufforth Aerodrome and York Rotarians were involved in several ways.

Vic Brookes and David McAulay have been Instructors for many years. They are Advanced Motorists who give up their time to train young people to drive safely and to buck the trend of more accidents in the Under 25s. Don Salter agreed to become an “Associate” which meant spending the week as a surrogate parent in a borrowed car, mentoring student Jack; Don learned a lot too (see photograph below)! Don commented that it is quite something being driven by the student along the course at over 60, but that level of driving indicates how much is achieved by the students in a week.

The police support the event by providing training regarding speed awareness and bring a variety of police vehicles to the event to help educate students on various driving related topics. Students also experience what it is like to sit in the cab of an artic and how that effects what you can see on the road.

Mary Lumley led a team of 12 long-serving and new Rotarians and Partners who manned the refreshments area in morning or afternoon shifts, providing teas and coffees on demand, sorting out food orders for the Instructors and clearing up after everyone.

Every adult “working” on the course is a volunteer and the tangible benefits for the young people are visible in their increasing confidence and honed driving skills. This is a fine example of Rotarians as “People of Action”. 

At the end of the course students are presented with Certificates recording their achievements in the week.

The remaining 2025 courses will be 11th - 15th August and 27th - 31st October and York Rotary will be helping with those by providing instructors and serving refreshments.