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Electric car test drives on offer at Health and Wellbeing Market in Wick


By Alan Hendry

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THE chance to test-drive an electric car will be on offer at the county’s third Health and Wellbeing Market in Wick.

Becky Fretwell, a sustainable transport co-ordinator at Home Energy Scotland, will be taking an environmentally friendly Kia e-Niro to the event and outlining the benefits of low-carbon driving.

Other new additions to the Health and Wellbeing Market include yoga, acupuncture, sign language and music-making.

Sustainable transport co-ordinator Becky Fretwell, of Home Energy Scotland, in the Kia e-Niro she will be taking to the Health and Wellbeing Market in the Pulteney Centre.
Sustainable transport co-ordinator Becky Fretwell, of Home Energy Scotland, in the Kia e-Niro she will be taking to the Health and Wellbeing Market in the Pulteney Centre.

The event takes place at the Pulteney Centre on Saturday, May 18, when more than 20 stalls will be offering information on health and wellbeing services that can be accessed in Caithness.

It is being organised by Caithness Health Improvement Forum with Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG) and Pulteneytown People’s Project (PPP) and will run from 11am to 3pm.

Becky said: "I’ll be bringing the Kia e-Niro to Wick for test drives and with a range up to 282 miles I’ll be able to get from Inverness and back without charging!

"Electric cars have come a long way since the first time I took one up to Wick and had to charge on the way there, when I arrived, and on the way back.

I’ll also be bringing an eBike for people to try. They’re enormous fun.

"The Hyundai Kona electric also has a range of up to 279 miles and the new Nissan LEAF 62 kWh will have a range of over 220 miles, giving people a brilliant choice of longer-range electric cars. There are government-funded interest-free loans up to £35,000 available to purchase electric vehicles and grant funding to install a charge point at home.

"I’ll also be bringing an eBike for people to try. They’re enormous fun, and with motor assist up to 15 mph they’re a great way to get around.

"It would be great to see as many people as possible on May 18 and if anyone is interested in more information on the grants and funding available please get in touch using 0808 808 2282."

The aim of the event is to showcase the wide range of opportunities available locally to benefit general health as well as mental, spiritual, emotional and social wellbeing.

Stallholders will include Befriending Caithness, LGOWIT (Let's Get On With It Together), Caithness Rural Transport, NHS Health Improvement and Home-Start as well as Home Energy Scotland.

Caithness Music will be having a "music-making for health" stall as well as a brass band playing and handbell ringing during the day.

Hearing and Sight Care will offer hearing screening and do some British Sign Language (BSL) – “learn to fingerspell”. There will also be a chance to find out about yoga and acupuncture.

PPP will have information about all its services.

Event co-ordinator Yvonne Hendry, from CVG, said: “We are hoping to build on the success of the previous events."


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