Ever since our humble beginnings in downtown Nelson in 1945 the Bowater Motor Group has been very focused on community involvement. We believe that you are only ever as successful as the support that you can give back. It is with this philosophy that we continue to be as involved as we can be in the wider Nelson / Tasman community.
This section of the website houses stories, links and content from a collective of organisations and events that we are involved with or support through sponsorship or partnerships.
The menu to the right has got comprehensive articles from those events, organisations and charities that we regularly involved with, click on the menu items to read more, or scroll down this page to keep up with events as they unfold.
If you think you have an event, organisation or group that would benefit from our community interest feel free to contact us.
Mini restoration for maximum impact
Photo: MARTIN DE RUYTER/Fairfax NZ
From left, Martin Reid, John Bruce and Bob Croy are part of a group who will restore this 1975 Morris Mini and sell it to raise funds for the Cancer Society Relay for Life in two years' time.
Article from the Nelson Mail 31/03/12.
This year's Cancer Society Relay for Life may have only finished a few weeks ago, but a group of Wakefield men whose lives have been affected by the disease are already working to raise money for the next one.
Retired mechanic Bob Croy, retired carpenter John Bruce, and retired teacher and tinkerer Martin Reid have joined forces to restore an old Mini to sell at the 2014 relay, with all profit going to the Cancer Society.
The origins of a special charity project - why rebuild a mini?
Local retired auto mechanic Bob Croy and his team have a grand vision - to rebuild an old mini and auction it off for charity, with all proceeds going to the local Cancer Society. The project started as all great projects do, out of a competitive spirit to do more.
Bob got a couple of mates together and came up with a plan, to find a couple of old minis, strip them back and use them to rebuild a new one. This would then be auctioned off for the Cancer Society. Sounds like a great plan.
The start was always going to be hard, finding old minis is increasingly difficult, but they got there in the end.
The first mini was found and kindly sold to the project by Mrs Christine Johansson.
Bowater Motor Group have since come on board, with Bowater Toyota sourcing and supplying all of the parts needed to complete this admirable feat. We talk to Bob Croy and get the inside story, as well as the first set of pictures as the car is found and the dismantling begins.