A new trust is striving to ensure our youngest travellers are kept safe on the road.
The Child and Restraint Safety Equipment Access and Training (Carseat) Trust SC 2025 will officially launch next Wednesday with a mission to make child car seat safety more accessible, affordable and understood across the region.
The trust, a not-for-profit charitable organisation, has been developed with support from the previous Car Seat Trust, local service groups, South Canterbury Kindergartens and other community partners.
The trust is aiming to provide access to safe, approved child restraints and support families to ensure their car seats are correctly fitted.
They will also offer education and training on child restraint safety, and car seats will be available for hire for short or long-term use, with a returnable bond and a simple payment schedule.
Founding trust member Teressa May said it had been crucial to establish the new trust.
‘‘In my professional capacity [as a St John ambulance officer], we go to accidents all the time and it’s just a safety thing. It’s supporting the families in the community and all of us that are involved are all about our community and supporting the best we can.
‘‘There’s a lot of different varieties of cars and we’re quickly learning that there’s a lot of different varieties of seats. Kids are important for our future, so I see this work as an essential service and certainly other people I’ve talked to see it as an essential service for families as well.
‘‘It’s been a logistical problem, and we’ve created a solution.’’
The small team were also seeking volunteers to help operate the car seat clinic, she said.
‘‘It’s all volunteer-based, none of us are getting paid.
‘‘There’ll be plans to train people that are interested [in fitting carseats] once we get some funding for that. It’s an opportunity for new mums or families to actually get some new skills and engage in the community and reduce that social isolation.’’
Initially, one clinic per week will be offered, with the potential to expand as demand grows, Mrs May said.
‘‘At this stage, we’re looking at a Wednesday afternoon from half-past twelve to half-past two, and if we need to have further clinics, we can sort that once know. We’re reasonably flexible.
‘‘It’s a community-helping-community approach — together, we can make South Canterbury roads safer for our youngest travellers.’’
For more information about the trust or how to access the service, it can be messaged on its Facebook page, CarSeat Trust SC 2025.
