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Ford’s performance engineering partner, Tickford, has been commended by the Queensland Government for its innovative community work in outback Queensland.
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie told Parliament that Tickford deserved "10 out of 10" for its work with young indigenous children.
Since 1998, a group of Tickford engineers has travelled by mini-bus from Melbourne to Cherbourg in outback Queensland to teach young children the fine art of billycart racing.
Children from local schools are rostered on to help the Tickford engineers build and paint the carts in preparation for race day.
"Such positive projects, particularly with Indigenous communities, have exciting potential for forging successful partnerships and providing the encouragement that is often needed for advancement," Mr Beattie said.
"Tickford's billycart project demonstrates a practical and innovative approach to relationship and community building," he said.
Tickford's involvement in the project started when the company received a request from Cherbourg for a billycart pattern.
The company went one better and sent staff and all the materials to construct billycarts and conduct a billycart derby. This year, more than 20 billycarts were built.
Tickford Managing Director David Flint said the exercise was a great way for Tickford to put something back into the community.
"Our staff love the opportunity to get away from the office and get back to some grass roots racing, while for Cherbourg it has become a real community-building event," he said.
"The only difficulty is in getting our staff back to Melbourne afterwards," he said.
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