An appeal for financial support from an established and well-respected youth project drew an instant and positive response from within the Bridport community.

The Bandits Motor Project, based at Bridport Youth and Community Centre, was created in 1993 following a near fatal and drug-related stabbing on Plottingham Fields.

The idea of a young person – one of a number of concerned individuals who attended an emergency meeting at the centre – the Bandits have gone from strength to strength for the past 30 years but is now suffering in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hit by the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19, and with little or no opportunity to embark on the sort of fundraising programmes that had sustained the group for years, they appealed to another organisation that had also emerged from that same meeting 30 years earlier – the Bridport Young Persons' Action Trust (BYPAT). 

There was no hesitation in providing support, with BYPAT being joined in double-quick time by Bridport Lions Club, and both Brit Valley and Bridport Rotary Clubs, raising a total of £900 in a matter of days.

All were aware of the positive opportunities and outcomes that Bandits have been able to provide for so many young people over the years, and none wanted to see this come to an end.

"Several members have personal knowledge of young teenagers who have been members and then moved on to related careers and made a success of that," said Bridport Rotary Club president Colin Bowditch. 

Those teens included people like Ryan Bennett, one of the original Bandits, who now owns Bennett Mechanical Services and, incidentally, employs 19-year-old former Bandit, Billy Cornwell.

Billy said: "I thought it would be a bit of fun – it turned out to be a career."

Both Ryan and Billy are now back with the Bandits, helping to steer them to safety. They are joined by other former members, including another 'original', Stuart McKenzie, also working in the motor trade, who expressed their thanks for the help and support received.

Bridport Bandits is a youth motor project to develop skills learnt on building and racing Autograss junior specials and Nissan Micras. which they race with Wessex Motor Racing Club in the Southern Autograss League.

They meet on Monday and Thursday evenings and more information is available by emailing [email protected]