A Family Business Built on Values

The story of Volksmaster’s commitment to the community starts within our own family. When Mike McDonald was building the business, his three sons—Nathan, Ryan and Callum—were already getting involved from a young age. They grew up around the business and learned first-hand the importance of hard work, honesty, trust and responsibility.

For Mike, education and personal development were always about more than qualifications. They were about giving young people the values, confidence and direction they need to build a better future.

Volksmaster Family

Over the years, he also saw young people in the local community who did not have the same opportunities—young people without the right education, guidance, support or sense of direction. That experience shaped his belief that businesses can play a role in helping young people find another path.

Whether that means providing coaching, creating opportunities, offering work experience, supporting apprenticeships or simply giving a young person someone to look up to, sometimes a small opportunity can become the beginning of something much bigger.

And that is where the Youth Development pillar of the Volksmaster Community Commitment begins.

Everyone Has Something to Give

For Ryan, one of Volksmaster’s Directors, community volunteering is something that does not need to start with a large organisation, a large budget or a perfect plan. Before the Community Commitment Programme was created, Ryan was already volunteering his time by coaching children through a local youth football team in Oldham.

That experience reinforced a simple belief: Everyone can make a difference.

Youth Development

You don’t have to be a charity. You don’t have to be a large corporation. You don’t need unlimited resources. You can start by sharing what you are good at.

For Ryan, that means coaching and encouraging young people through football. For someone else, it could be teaching a skill, offering career advice, providing work experience or simply giving their time.

“I believe everyone has their own superpower. You don’t have to change the world on your own. If you’re willing to share what you’re good at, you can empower someone else. That’s where I think community starts.” — Ryan McDonald, Director of Volksmaster

This philosophy is one of the foundations of the Volksmaster Community Commitment.

Why Youth Development Comes First

Youth Development is the first priority within the Volksmaster Community Commitment. It reflects both our family story and our experience as a business.

Youth Development

We have seen first-hand how young people can benefit from guidance, encouragement, practical experience and the opportunity to develop their confidence. In the future, our support could take different forms, including:

• Support for local youth organisations
• Youth and grassroots football
• Apprenticeship opportunities/ Work experience/ Career guidance
• Mentoring and coaching

We do not yet know exactly where this journey will take us—and that is intentional. We want to listen to the community first.

Beyond Youth Development: While Youth Development is our primary focus, we recognise that communities face many different challenges. As we develop the programme, we are also exploring opportunities to support:

• Mental Health: Helping people access support, build connections and improve their wellbeing.
• Animal Welfare: Supporting organisations that protect and care for vulnerable animals in our communities.
• Support for Older People: Exploring ways to support older members of our local communities and organisations providing care and companionship.

Ryan McDonald, Director of Volksmaster Group

We know that we cannot support every cause. Our resources, as a family business, are limited. Therefore, our approach needs to be thoughtful and sustainable.

“We don’t want to create a programme simply because it sounds good. We want to build something that we can genuinely maintain. If we can inspire more businesses, families and individuals to contribute what they can, the impact can become much bigger than anything Volksmaster could achieve on its own.” — Ryan McDonald, Director of Volksmaster Group

For us, the ultimate ambition is not for Volksmaster to do everything. It is to inspire more people to do something.

Driving Our Community Forward

Volksmaster Brothers

We may be taking a baby step today. But we believe that every meaningful journey starts with one.

Volksmaster Community Commitment – Driving Our Community Forward.
30 years of looking after vehicles. Now, looking further beyond them.