How College lecturer added spark to Castlepoint’s shopping experience

The Bournemouth & Poole College’s community spirit came to fore again recently when lecturer Steve Stafford upgraded the electricity auto-charging point at the huge Castlepoint shopping complex on the outskirts of Bournemouth – for free.

The centre already has a facility for charging electric cars set in a prime position outside Marks and Spencer but it lacked a special modern "J-plug" connection.

The Bournemouth & Poole College is one of only ten colleges in England accredited to teach the qualification which has a high pre-entry level qualification. So far seven students have graduated from the college under Steve Stafford’s expert guidance.  It was fitting that Steve headed to the centre to make sure the job was done properly.

On hand with thanks and praise was Mr Bill Riddle, the Castlepoint Operations Manager. He said the added charging unit was in an ideal position for shoppers to leave their electric car and boost the battery while they go about their shopping.

He said: “Everyone is aware of the need to think about the environment and Castlepoint is part of that. We are known for our commitment to re-cycling waste and fuel economy so we need to be able to provide this service as more people switch to hybrid vehicles.

“The Bournemouth & Poole College has the expertise for this work so we are so grateful they were able to install this extra facility on site in a prime position."

Electric vehicles have a strategic role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport.

Said Steve: “This special plug system has extra weather protection and is the latest in design. It was our pleasure to help out.

"There is now a huge drive towards electric vehicles which will contribute to lowering emissions to meet 2020 targets. 


“The electricity companies are investing in these types of networks to ensure they safely and reliably support for electric vehicle charging.


"The best way to recharge a vehicle is from dedicated electric vehicle charging equipment."