About Us

'In the Beginning!’

In November 1991, a motor education project was started by 2 people - Paul Craft (an engineer and youth worker who became a director of Pit Stop 2000 Limited) and Adrian Woods, (a youth worker, who is now the Operations Manager of Pit Stop 2000 Limited).  The project was based around the objective of preventative work with young people who were at risk of engaging in crime.  One go-kart was purchased – the first session was advertised and 30 eager young people turned up!  It was from that tiny beginning that the project was born and subsequently snowballed, culminating in the current 20,000 visits a year being made by young people to Pit Stop, all of whom benefit from the wide variety of activities, care and support which the organization offers to them.

At Pit Stop, we are still anxious to try and deter young people from engaging in crime but must also ensure that all who attend are successful under the five outcomes of the Government’s Paper “Every Child Matters”, ie Being Healthy, Staying Safe, Enjoying and Achieving, Making a Positive Contribution and Economic Wellbeing.  The young people need stability and the chance to develop confidence and a ‘feel good’ factor as well as learn new practical skills.  They need to grow in self-esteem and be self-sufficient and gain employability skills.

To this end, we are constantly looking to introduce new activities (our most recent being the music studio in January 2009) and developing our existing ones to ensure that we do not lose our young people’s interest.  We listen to their feedback and evaluations and implement their suggestions wherever possible and practicable.

Activities and Accreditations

Our activities have grown over the years and currently include outdoor sports – canoeing, gorge walking and rock climbing; IT based around digital photography; healthy eating and cookery; vegetable growing; beekeeping; go-karting; kart maintenance; woodwork; environmental projects; the music studio; residential trips and European exchanges.  We offer national accreditation embracing all the above through BTEC, ASDAN, COPE, Youth Achievement Awards, eDCC and the Life Routes Award.  We have an AALA Licence which ensures that everyone gets nationally recognized, quality programmes and training in climbing, trekking and water sports.

Through the generosity of local businesses and the Community Foundation for Calderdale, we have been able to purchase specially adapted canoes and go-karts to accommodate the growing number of physically disadvantaged young people who have been introduced to us.  This is definitely another area which we must continue to invest in and develop. 

More details and photographs on activities

ENGAGE/NEET - Not in Education, Employment or Training

In March 2009, Pit Stop was awarded contracts by Kirklees College through the LSC and ESF to offer programmes of activities for NEET  young people, aged 16 - 19, in Calderdale and Kirklees.

These confidence building courses are proving very successful. The young people take part in Outdoor Sports, Woodwork, IT through Digital Photography, Motor Engineering through the go-karts and, of course, driving the go-karts on our own track in Bradford - Bradford Kart Racing.

See our ENGAGE young people involved in their activities.

Pit Stop Youth Club

In addition to our central services, we provide a free youth club which operates on Friday evenings from 6.30 pm to 9 pm.  We are delighted that many of the young people who started at the youth club have now progressed through the ranks and are acting as mentors to the new youngsters who come through our door.

European Work

We undertake a significant amount of European work through the British Council which is a very important part of our activities enabling our young people to learn about different cultures, experience overseas travel and live and work in groups with young people from different nationalities.  Pit Stop young people have already visited the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Poland and Denmark with more visits planned.  In turn, we have hosted young people from Germany, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary here in Calderdale.  The icing on the cake of all this international co-operation is that 71 Pit Stop young people have achieved the European Youth Pass accreditation in respect of European Citizenship Racial and Cultural Awareness and Integration. Click here to view photographs

Pit Stop’s Expansion

At this juncture, it must be mentioned that many changes have taken place at Pit Stop since September 2007 not the least of which was our move to new premises in that month.  This move meant that all indoor activities and offices are now under one roof (before we operated on a split site) and we have much needed storage space for canoes, go-karts, protective clothing and the vast amount of recycled wood for our woodworking project from which our young people make garden furniture, planters, bird boxes and tables, all of which are used to enhance the communities where the young people live and attend school.

Our Very Own Go-kart Track!

As mentioned previously, Pit Stop was originally set up with just one go-kart.  Now, we have over 100!  In April 2008, we had the opportunity to acquire a go-kart track in Manchester Road, Bradford.  From research carried out, it was clear that there was a demand for go-karting facilities in and around Calderdale so the massive decision was made to take over the Bradford track.  Since that date, much refurbishment, redesign and enhancement of the track and surroundings have taken place and indeed will continue to be made as time progresses. 

View information and the facilities we offer through our Bradford Kart Racing website.

Recognitions and Awards!

• On 23 January 2009, HRH The Princess Royal visited Pit Stop in Elland to see for herself all the activities which the young people participate in.   Following the visit, we received a letter from Her Royal Highness stating “It is an outstanding project with obvious benefits to the young people who are able to engage in so many subjects from music to vehicle maintenance with such enthusiasm”.  See our photographs of the visit! 

• We are very proud to have been crowned ‘Social Enterprise of the Year 2008’ being the organization in the Yorkshire and Humber Area that had achieved outstanding success in the previous 12 months. 

• The introduction in 2008 of the Life Routes Global Life Skills Project sponsored by Nokia which is hosted by the National Children’s Bureau in England.  Rob Glover, Regional Co-ordinator, writes –

“Working at Pit Stop has been an enlightening and invigorating experience for Life Routes.  Pit Stop is able to run projects for some of the most disadvantaged young people in our area.  The energy of the staff, their youth led approach and their ambition and vision are all very impressive.  Pit Stop has now been appointed the region’s Centre of Excellence.”

• We are delighted to have received HRH The Duke of York’s Community Award in recognition of best practice in community enterprise and leadership.

• Adrian Woods, Pit Stop’s Operations Manager, was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2008 New Year’s Honours List for Services to Disadvantaged Young People in Calderdale.  He had it presented in June 2008 and among other things the Queen said to him that “The Pit Stop Charity is quite simply stunning”.  He was mentioned by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in speeches as an example of ‘Local Heroes’ which are so necessary in pulling communities together.  This followed Adrian being interviewed for ITV’s ‘This Morning’ programme on ‘Local Heroes’.   Watch the interview! 

• In May 2008, Adrian was presented with the ‘Citizen of the Year’ Award by the retiring Mayor of Calderdale, Cllr Martin Peel, for “his commitment and dedication to the youth of Calderdale in projects that have led to the development of life long skills through Pit Stop 2000 Limited.”