A MOTORSPORTS program created to encourage young people to learn leadership – and perhaps technical – skills is a step closer to launching in Portland.
Beat the Heat is an international not-for-profit program that already operates at numerous locations in Australia and is led by off-duty police in Victoria.
Youths work with automotive professionals and Beat the Heat volunteers to maintain cars and crew and perhaps drive at motorsports events.
They are also taught motorsport official and event skills.
Victorian Beat the Heat president Simon Borg is based out of Melbourne but was in Portland recently speaking to people interested in learning more about it.
He said the program was started through Victoria Police in the mid-1980s but is now completely independent of the force, however off-duty police continue to play a key leadership role in the organisation.
A former Major Collision Investigation Unit officer who saw the consequences of road trauma every day, Mr Borg said Beat the Heat is a good way to “get kids off the street and potentially offending on the road.”

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