2020 Grant winner Linda Dalton

It’s a rite of passage many 16 and 17-year-olds take for granted: learning to drive and getting their Ps.

But for some young people in and around Linda Dalton’s (1979) hometown of Bellingen, on the NSW Mid-North Coast, getting a driver’s licence can be tougher than it seems.

“The Bellingen Shire has a relatively low socio-economic index… many people are employed in part-time work, juggling childcare and work, and many rely in part or altogether on Centrelink benefits,” Linda explained.

“There are a significant number of single parent families who are only just getting by.”

“In Bellingen, parents (can) struggle to scrape together money for even one driving lesson with a driving school, and working parents, particularly single parents… struggle to find the hours to supervise their children’s driving themselves,” Linda said.

The Two Way Street project is staffed and organised by volunteers and runs entirely on donations and fundraising. It has two donated vehicles which cost $3,000 a year to operate – in petrol, registration, insurance and servicing.

“That is where the magic is. It’s beautiful.”

In 2020, the AOGU awarded Linda a 110th Anniversary Grant of $3,000, with the funds guaranteeing the project runs for another year, by covering the on-road costs of its two vehicles.

“I was incredibly grateful that we were able to keep going, that is where the money has been invaluable, it has given Two Way Street a whole new life.”