Wanted! Young people to be given free driving lessons and be put through their test courtesy of Dicksons of Inverness

An Inverness motor group is planning to give a dozen young people in the north a cracking start to 2024 – by providing them with lessons and putting them through their driving tests.

Throughout next year the company has pledged to put 12 young people between the ages of 17-24 through their driving lessons and tests.

The successful candidates from across the Highlands and islands will be nominated by friends, family, and the community they live in, via a page on the company’s website. More details on how to apply are available from Dicksons of Inverness, who will then partner with selected driving school instructors to roll out the scheme.

The company aims to allow young people, who may not necessarily have the means to pay for driving lessons, to be able to take them and hopefully then pass their test.

This in turn could enable them to pursue career opportunities further afield and potentially boost their economic situation, and develop confidence, experience and lifelong driving skills at a younger age, creating safer Highland roads.

In December, a panel of neutral judges from across the business landscape of the Highlands will choose the 12 lucky youngsters.

Dicksons of Inverness managing director Fraser Bryce said: “This is something that we have been thinking about for some time and I am delighted we are putting it into practice.

"Many people are really suffering financially at the moment and driving lessons are considered an expensive luxury by some, and we are fortunately in a position to help alleviate that burden.

“By learning from seasoned professionals, the young people will not only have a higher chance of passing their tests, they will be better equipped to enjoy safely the freedom of the Highland roads.”

Dicksons, which has been based in Inverness since 1992, employs more than 70 staff at its Telford Retail Park base.

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