Exway staff get on their bikes with 100 other riders to help raise £5000 in ‘Pedal 4 Heroes’ sponsored cycle ride.

Staff at car accident repair specialist the Exway Group are known for their attention to customer care and the quality of their repairs. But it was their skill on two wheels that recently enabled them to raise nearly £400 for injured servicemen.

A six-man team from Exway’s collision damage repair centre in Lister Close on the Newnham Industrial Estate, Plympton took part in a ‘Pedal 4 Heroes’ sponsored cycle ride, organised by Plymouth Mayflower Rotary Club.

The Exway/Plymouth team included technician Paul Eckle, panel beaters Keith Chittenden, Phil Sampson and Chris Lewis, estimator John O'Leary, and quality controller Paul Tamlin.

They completed a gruelling 35-mile course that began at Coypool Park and Ride and passed through Plympton and Lee Mill, on to Dartmoor, and then back via Burrator and Yelverton.

At the same time, Exway/Plymouth’s administrator Tracey Edgecombe and receptionist Kelly Thomson took part in a gentler seven-mile sponsored ride up the Plym Valley.

Keith Chittenden was the first Exway rider to cross the 35-mile finishing line. He’s now setting his sights on the Tour de France… 

In total, the 110 riders who took part in the ‘Pedal 4 Heroes’ event raised about £5000 for the Help for Heroes charity.

Pictured above are: Keith Chittenden (4^th from left, in yellow shirt; John O'Leary (second from right, Number 84); and Paul Tamlin (third from right). 

A local amateur boxing club - established in 2007 to help Plymouth youngsters keep out of trouble by channelling their energy into the sport - has been saved, and given its own permanent gym for the first time, after clinching a sponsorship deal with Plymouth car accident repair specialist, Exway.

The Exway Group has a state-of-the-art vehicle accident repair centre in Lister Close on the Newnham Industrial Estate in Plympton.

Carl’s Boxing Stable - set up on a voluntary basis by former Devon boxer Carl Robson - was in danger of having to close after struggling to find a permanent home in the city. It has had five different locations so far this year.

With financial help from Exway, the club has now been able to establish a permanent home at the Colebrook Complex on Newnham Industrial Estate in Plympton.

Carl’s Boxing Stable is affiliated to the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) and has a membership of nearly 40 local boys and girls who have the potential to represent Plymouth at ABA novice, school and county level.

Carl Robson, who is responsible for training the youngsters, said: “A few months ago, we were told that the premises we were hiring would no longer be available to us. It was the fifth time this year it has happened to us and keeping the club together was becoming a major problem.

“Fortunately, Exway stepped in and their financial support has enabled us to fulfil our ambition of having our own gym that we can call home.”

Geoff Battams, bodyshop manager at Exway/Plymouth, said: “Exway already has an apprenticeship scheme that is designed to help Plymouth youngsters who want a career in the vehicle repair industry. We felt getting involved with Carl’s Boxing Stable was another way of helping young people in the area.”

He added: “Boxing provides a very healthy and disciplined way for young people to spend their time. As Carl Robson has shown with his members, it can help to build their confidence and give them a ‘can do’ approach to life that will stand them in good stead in the future.”

Carl Robson said: “In Plymouth, we do have some fantastic talent that needs to be developed and encouraged to help them realise their full potential. We believe we have young people who are talented enough to compete at the highest levels of ABA boxing nationally.”

Photo courtesy of Plymouth Herald - www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

The Exway Group – the leading Exeter-based crash repair specialist – is continuing its long association with Exeter City Football Club by extending its sponsorship deal with the Grecians for the 2009-2010 season.

Exway founder and managing director Trevor Barefoot says: “Exeter City Football Club has been at the heart of the local community for over 100 years and Exway has been serving Exeter motorists for the past three decades. So, as well as being big City fans ourselves, our link with such a community-focused club is a natural fit for us.”

Exway has two vehicle accident repair centres in Exeter – in Exhibition Way, Pinhoe (Tel: 01392 466335) and at 23 Marsh Green Road, Marsh Barton (Tel: 01392 425273).

Pictured next to the Exway sign at St James Park are City players Richard Logan (right) and Rob Edwards (left) who is also first team coach.

Drivers and passengers are being protected thanks to the introduction of the BSI Kitemark for vehicle body repair, according to new crash test results.

Not only was Exway the first car accident repair specialist in the South West to be awarded the prestigious BSI Kitemark, it was the first collision repair group in the whole country to receive the Kitemark for all of its repair centres.

Exway has extended its commercial insurance cover with Norwich Union Aviva for the 27th year running, with Exway MD Trevor Barefoot highlighting the importance of having the right insurance cover in place in the current economic climate.

Exway has secured financial backing from NatWest to support the continuing development of its vehicle accident repair network across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Exway’s longstanding commitment to quality and safety has resulted in the company winning a major award at insurance giant AXA’s first-ever Approved Vehicle Repairer Awards ceremony in Nottingham.

Exway has achieved another success with its innovative Apprenticeship Scheme for young vehicle repairers.

Exway/Barnstaple apprentice Reece Westerway, 17 - a student at North Devon College - has gained an award from the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) for vehicle body and paint operations.

The Exway Group – one of the UK's largest independent collision repair specialists – has become the first British company to receive the prestigious new BSI Kitemark for vehicle body repair for all of its sites.

The Exway Group – one of the UK's largest independent collision repair specialists – has extended its chain of car accident repair centres in the South West by acquiring The Car Accident & Repair Centre (formerly Kessells) in Newquay, Cornwall.

Exway helps Broadclyst Community Primary school pioneer the use of yellow school buses in the UK by providing US-style all-yellow livery for the school’s new bus, free of charge.

In a move which reflects The Exway Group's commitment to the highest possible standards of quality and safety, Exway has been appointed as a member of luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz’s nationwide network of approved body repairers.

The British Standards Institute’s prestigious Kitemark for vehicle body repair is awarded to Exway’s repair centre in Newquay only seven months after Exway acquired the site.

Leading South West Peugeot dealer Renwicks teams up with Exway and Center-Bay to launch a 24-hour vehicle accident management service for Peugeot drivers in Devon and Cornwall.

Vehicle repair trainees from Exway's car accident repair centre in Pinhoe, Exeter have won the 'Student of the Year' award at Exeter College for the second year running.

The Exway Group is teaming up with six other leading UK car accident repair businesses to launch a unique quality-assured repair network for owners of prestige car marques such as Mercedes, BMW and Audi. Exway will represent the new Vizion Network in the South West.