Rotorua Blue Light programme in need more volunteer navigators

Jasmine and Kataraina celebrating their full licence. Photo / Supplied

The Blue Light programme, which supports young people to get their driver's licence, is appealing for more volunteers to help get them driving safely on the road.

A driver's licence is something many people take for granted. However, for many there are barriers to obtaining a licence, which leads many young people to take the risk and drive without one.

Blue Light assists these youngsters to overcome the barriers they have faced in the past and helps them to gain a full driver's licence, which makes a simple but often transforming change in their lives.

For many young people, their introduction to the justice system is through repeated driving infringements.

With the assistance of Blue Light, many young people have been able to overcome the barriers they have faced in the past to obtain a full driver's licence.

Without a licence, jobs are not as accessible, appointments become hard to manage and everyday tasks become a burden, particularly in rural areas where there is no form of public transport.

Rotorua co-ordinator Debbie Graham has been involved with the Rotorua programme for two and a half years and loves it.

She says she loves being part of a joint community initiative that has amazing, positive outcomes for the city's rangatahi.

"Seeing them blossom with confidence and enthusiasm, and achieve their goals, is very rewarding."

She says based on previous and current navigators' feedback, volunteer navigators can have a huge positive impact on the journey of a young driver who may not have the support systems at home to gain their licence.

"You build positive relationships, and help them to overcome obstacles, you get very invested in their success, and it definitely has the feel-good factor."

She says the Rotorua programme currently has about 10 navigators, with about 200 pre-learners just taken into the programme, so more volunteer navigators are needed.

Blue Light's programme takes participants through the whole process, from sitting the learner's test to obtaining a full licence.

The programme provides safe cars including cameras inside and out, professional driving lessons, endorsed driving instructors and fits within the participants' schedules to ensure they can continue progressing for the 18-plus months it takes to obtain a full licence.

Volunteers are key to the programme's survival, and all volunteers undergo full police vulnerable children's vetting and receive training from a driver trainer.

Once the programme participants are at a level where they can drive safely, community volunteers, called Navigators, are needed for one to two hours a week to help them practice.

Cars are provided and volunteers help programme participants practice their driving as a parent might.

Debbie says to date, the Rotorua programme has had 48 young drivers graduate on a full licence.

She says this is highly beneficial to their independence and job prospects, and means they are no longer being subject to fines for breaching licence conditions.

"Having much better driving skills makes it a win-win for the whole community.

"We would also like to thank the local businesses that support our programme, Jackson's Driving School and McDonald's Rotorua."

The details
- What: Blue Light charity navigator volunteer drive
- When: Wednesday, July 29, 5.30pm
- Where: Rotorua Boys High School Library