Meet Chris, one of Weave’s superstar Driving Change volunteers.
Find out why he loves volunteering with Weave.
When Chris retired in 2015, he was looking for opportunities to give back.
“I was very focussed on young people,” he says. “Being an engineering consultant, I was very aware of how hard it is to get a job.”
When Chris found out that Weave’s Driving Change Program has a car in La Perouse, it was a volunteering opportunity that suited him perfectly.
Chris is now teaching his fourth student to drive.
He talks about how having a licence has helped his students to get a better job, and also had other implications for his students’ lives:
“We take a drivers licence for granted, but it can make a huge difference to someone’s life. One of my students had a sick family member, and being able to take them to medical appointments made a huge difference to her life.”
– Chris believes that small acts can make a big difference
Chris describes the feeling when this student got her Ps on her first test “As I was watching the examiner, he reached for two P plates, and I knew she’d got it. I think I was more nervous than she was!”
“It’s about giving young people an opportunity they wouldn’t have. They don’t have access to a vehicle or someone that has a licence. With a licence, their world opens up to them. A small thing can make a really big change.”
Chris loves watching his students grow in confidence and independence.
“I see the change,” he says. “When they first get in the car, you often see that they’ve been in an environment with people who aren’t good drivers. You see their confidence grow. I think it’s a big thing for them.”
And although teaching people to drive can be a bit stressful sometimes, it’s not that bad.“I never had to press the emergency break,” he says laughing: “I’ve come close a couple of times, but we’ve always managed.”
Chris knows how valuable the program is, and wants people to know it’s not as daunting as it might seem.
“I know there’s a backlog of students waiting,” he says. “Weave does a really good job of assessing them. It would be great to have some more volunteer drivers, people who’ve got the time to act as supervising drivers.”
“I just think a small thing can make a big difference. By just simply donating a couple of hours a week, you can change someone’s life.”