In the Autumn of 2025, Provision House (the charity behind the project) was experienced significant financial pressures. Measures had to be taken across the board to protect the charity. For the Maurice Project, this resulted in a restriction on the amount of time I could spend running the project, as well as a freeze on all spending. That said, in order to preserve the relationship we had established with Dudley College, it was decided to continue to receive college students on Wednesdays, and it is this that has enabled the project tick over until March ’26.

Being based at Dudley Collages ‘Institute of Technology’, I had met a number of the staff from the automotive department, in one conversation I was asked if I had ever considered teaching as a career. They also made me aware a staff vacancy that had come up for a lecturer. Cutting a long story short, I decided to take a punt and apply for the job. Much to my amazement, after undergoing their interview process, I was offered the opportunity to join the Automotive department as a trainee lecturer for Dudley College. I decided to accept the offer and started this new role on Monday 16th March.

So where does this leave the project you ask?

The answer is very interesting!  

Prior to leaving Provision House, the team and I had a crunch meeting with Dudley College to discuss the future of the Project. We informed the college of our financial challenges as asked if they would be interested in embracing the project further, in order to save it from faltering. The answer was yes and they were even prepared to help fund its completion, utilising the many skills and facilities available to them. The plan would be to claw back their expenditure from the cars eventual sale. This was amazing news, as all parties were able to claim a win. Not only that, but once I was established in my new lecturing post at the college, provision would be made in the timetable for me to continue to run the project receiving groups form local schools.

So, to sum up then, just in case you are completely confused:

I have moved employers, the project has a new sponsor, the college has an exciting project with kudos to offer to its students and boast about, and Provision House along with the Dudley community will still benefit from involvement in the restoration and its eventual sale. What an amazing story, who could have seen that coming?  

So after months of uncertainty and as its Spring Half Term, I will be joining Shane and John for a much needed catch up down at the workshop on Wednesday.

I would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has stood with me through this difficult time in the projects life, the core team Shane Pincher, John Jones and Stephen Claxton, our sponsors SNG Barratt Group, Auto Jack Tools, Chris Morgan, Scott Perry and Dudley College. 

Written by Nick Gainsford (Project Manager).