During the Easter holiday week York Rotary assisted with the refreshments for the Pathfinder driving course being held at Rufforth Airfield. The course is being held over five days.
The Pathfinder course is for students aged 15 to 17. 30 students are participating along with their adult sponsoring drivers. Students drive in the car provided by the sponsoring adult. The course is marked out with an array of cones along the airfield. The students have to pass theory tests as part of the course and at the end of the week they get a certificate assuming they complete the course and pass all elements. The first day was spent getting used to driving, as the week progresses additional and more complex tasks will be introduced each day.
There is at least one classroom experience each day, on the first day it focused on speed awareness, it was presented by East Yorkshire police and was very informative.
The course costs approximately £380 per student to run, but the students pay a sponsored rate of nearer £200. For a five day course and an opportunity to spend 20 to 30 hours driving with some instruction the course fee represents very good value for money.
The staging of the event is complex and involves instructors and supporters. Each student drives mainly with their sponsor, but during each session instructors join them for part of the driving training.
The courses are normally run Easter week, a week in August (12th to 16th August 2024) and half term week in October.
Taking the course is invaluable to all the students and it is supported by the police as being of great benefit. Having initial driving experience in a safe off road environment is a very safe way of training, and it leads to safer less accident prone drivers. York Rotary are pleased to be involved in assisting.
Mary Lumley who organised the refreshment provision on behalf of York Rotary thanked all the volunteers who assisted. Mary said that the volunteer instructors and marshals, parents, grandparents and young people all expressed their gratitude for the endless supply of hot drinks and biscuits they were able to have each day! They also said we had often supplied a sympathetic and kindly ear when things got a little stressful! Thank you to Mary for making our assistance happen.
It would be lovely to think that these courses could be offered more regularly for people approaching seventeen years of age.
David Fotheringham