Auckland, 16 September 2025. Often seen as a rite of passage, gaining a driver’s licence opens up opportunities for independence, employment and confidence. The Drive Outwest programme operated by Te Awaroa Helensville’s Outwest Youth Community Trust has helped over 1,150 members of the community to pass their driver’s licence in the past 10 years.
So, when the call went out to help fund a replacement driver training car, replacing Outwest’s well utilised Mazda Demio, high community support prompted the creation of a Give-a-Little page to aid fundraising efforts.
“When we heard about the circumstances around Outwest’s Mazda Demio training car, straight away our team started thinking of ways to assist”, said David Hodge, Mazda Motors of New Zealand managing director. “For us it has been about ensuring the Drive Outwest programme can continue operating in a way that most supports both the Trust and community. Once we started talking with Naomi and the team, we learnt just what a role Outwest Youth plays in the South Kaipara region. We also realised the extent of the demand for licence support, and that Outwest Youth didn’t just need a replacement car, they needed an additional one.”
As part of an agreement with Mazda, Outwest Youth is thrilled to have a Mazda MX-30 EV joining their operational fleet. Primarily to be used to support more advanced lessons within the Drive Outwest programme, the MX-30 will also be used by key staff for Trust activities.
“We are also so pleased with the Give-a-Little campaign’s success, which will enable the Trust to purchase an additional training car to support the growing need for driver education”, says Hodge.
“We have been absolutely blown away by the generosity of Mazda with the MX-30”, says Naomi Bartley, Outwest Youth general manager. We are also so grateful for the response to our fund-raising efforts, especially from our local community of Te Awaroa Helensville who see what we do every day. For a small town like ours, it’s pretty exciting that our story has spread nationally as well. Mazda donating the car to us allows us to keep the programme on the road and also gives the students exposure to some of the latest technology that is becoming commonplace in modern cars.
“Sustainability is such a key focus for everyone. The Mazda might be the first electric vehicle experience our students have ever had, so that’s exciting. But during other times, we will also use the MX-30 for general operations as we cover a wide area of South Kaipara, so having an EV really lowers our emissions and vehicle running costs.”
Proud to support Drive Outwest, Mazda will supply the MX-30 as a permanent addition to the driver training programme and Outwest Youth’s wider community activities.
