(Wed 03 Dec 08)

Porsche Cars GB Managing Director Andy Goss (pictured left) has presented a cheque for £375,000 to Steve Godfrey, Project Director of the Skidz charity, which is designed to provide mechanical skills to young people.

The money represents the legal costs that were awarded to Porsche after it challenged former London Mayor Ken Livingston's proposal to increase the congestion charge on high-CO2 vehicles to £25 per day. The proposal was dropped when Boris Johnson took over from Ken, so Porsche effectively won the case and got its legal costs back.

"We were always confident that our legal case was right and that we would win in the end," says Goss. "The proposal was unfair, disproportionate and we had evidence that this change would actually increase emissions in London. We were delighted to be awarded the legal fees involved in this case, and for us it instantly became clear that this money should be invested back into the capital in a positive way.

"By taking the benefits from tackling one major London issue, we now feel we can help tackle another, which is helping to give young people a focus and a chance to channel themselves in a positive direction. In Skidz, we believe that we have found a fantastic charity to help us deliver on our commitment."

Skidz already has five outlets, and the money it has received from Porsche will be used to create a sixth, based in the London Borough of Hillingdon. "We are hugely grateful for this sizeable donation from Porsche," says Steve Godfrey.

"This support has enabled us to turn our plans for a London-based project into a reality and will allow us to reach young people in the Capital for the first time.  We are looking forward to long-term relationship with Porsche."

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