New car to help Bellarine learners

New car to help Bellarine COMMUNITY-based learner driver program L2P has received a boost on the Bellarine thanks to the donation of a new car.
The new car will help young people on the Bellarine Peninsula, who do not have access to a vehicle or licensed driver, to gain experience towards getting their licence.
The car was made possible thanks to sponsors and Drysdale Community Bank Portarlington branches, CGU Insurance, the Portarlington Golf Club and Winter and Taylor Holden in Geelong.
The City of Greater Geelong runs the VicRoads funded program – L2P – which pairs young drivers aged 16 to 21 with a licensed and trained volunteer driving mentor.
Bellarine councillors Jan Farrell, Rod Macdonald and Lindsay Ellis joined Portarlington and Drysdale Community Bank senior branch manager Mark O’Dowd and recent L2P graduate Kyle Quarterman to celebrate the addition of the new car on the Bellarine.
Cr Farrell said the donation meant more young people on the Bellarine would have access to the L2P program.
“L2P is fantastic program and I’m thrilled to see it expanding to the Bellarine Peninsula,” Cr Farrell said.
“I’d particularly like to thank the generous support provided by Portarlington and Drysdale Community Bank branches, CGU Insurance, the Portarlington Golf Club and Winter and Taylor to the L2P program.”
Portarlington and Drysdale Community Bank Senior Branch Manager Mark O’Dowd said the branches were proud to support the initiative.
“It’s a great feeling as a bank to be able to not only loan our young people the money to buy their first car, or provide them insurance, but also make sure they hit the road for the first time the most prepared they can be.”
“And while this new car may officially be a donation from our branches, it’s really a donation from our community. It’s only through their continued banking business that we are able to generate the profits to support important local projects like these.”
Cr Farrell said the L2P had helped 122 young people get their licence since it started in 2009.
The program currently involves 80 mentors and more than 90 learner drivers from across Golden learners Plains Shire, Surf Coast Shire and the City of Greater Geelong.
Cr Lindsay Ellis said the new L2P car would be based at Portarlington.
L2P is looking for sponsors. For more information please contact April Livesley on 5272 4011 or email [email protected].