Inside Revolution: Racing for a good cause
The motorsport community has a fantastic track record of supporting those less fortunate or afflicted by injury sustained while competing or volunteering at motorsport events. At club level, many Motorsport UK registered clubs will have a nominated charity which they then fundraise for as part of their regular club activities – often with an easy-to-manage donation point included when signing on for meetings or events. Whether supporting their local air-ambulance service, or fighting cancer, the motorsport community knows how to deliver on fundraising and awareness. On a larger scale, many motorsport-based companies, teams and individuals, partner with charities which they, or their employees and their families, may have closer links to.
Here Revolution highlights just a few of these partnerships and underlines the benefits and support which these organisations provide.
BRDC Motor Sport Charity
The BRDC Benevolent Fund was founded in 2000 to support BRDC Members in times of need. In 2008, the Charity extended its reach to include people from the wider motorsport community involved in the participation, promotion or administration of motorsport, including but not limited to, competitors, marshals, officers, employees at motorsport venues and those involved in the design, construction, testing, repair and supply of parts for vehicles intended for competition use.
In 2018, to reflect this wider reach, the name of the charity was changed to the BRDC Motor Sport Charity. The Fund supports people with financial grants and advice during times of need. In recent times, families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis have been supported with winter fuel payments. Other examples of support include purchase of disability equipment and white goods, counselling support for children who lost a parent in a racing accident, and the funding of specialist therapies for children with life-changing illness or disability.
www.brdc.co.uk/BRDC-Motor-Sport-Charity
Frank Williams Academy
A spinal cord injury is life-changing, but it needn’t be life-limiting. Frank was paralysed in a car accident aged 44 but went on to achieve so much. Many others, paralysed by a spinal cord injury, are not given the chance to live a fulfilled life with hope, purpose, and dignity. Frank knew that and supported Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) throughout his life to change this situation. The Frank Williams Academy is his and his family’s legacy for his community.
Through information and training, the Frank Williams Academy aims to empower people with spinal cord injury to take control of the decisions that affect their lives.
Through education and training, the Frank Williams Academy aims to equip health and care professionals with the expertise to provide safe, appropriate care to people with spinal cord injury.
Through research and development, the Frank Williams Academy aims to give people with spinal cord injury a voice to influence and improve training and education.
Better education, care and support enabled Frank to achieve so much, however many in the UK do not get the help and support he did. Please support SIA so that together, with the Frank Williams Academy, they can help many more people with spinal cord injuries realise their dreams.
frank-williams-academy.justgiving-sites.com
Mission Motorsport
Mission Motorsport, The Forces’ Motorsport Charity was formed in 2012 to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of those affected by military operations by engagement through motorsport and opportunities through the automotive industry.
Recognising and capitalising on the astonishing inspirational and healing power of the sport, the charity hosts hundreds of service personnel, veterans and their families at a variety of events; from small community focussed events at Three Sisters in Wigan, to car control days at Thruxton Skidpan, networking opportunities for those leaving the services at Silverstone; track days at Croft and Goodwood, to full blown race weekends such as the charity’s flagship event Race of Remembrance, including a 12-hour endurance race at Anglesey Circuit.
The charity’s latest project is to not only repair a Category N accident damaged Subaru BRZ bringing it back to its former glory, but to convert it to a FIA compliant race car with hand controls allowing those with disabilities to enjoy the thrill of driving, making the sport more inclusive.
Race of Remembrance is a special Pitlane Service of Remembrance with a twelve-hour endurance race attached and is UK motorsport’s way of not only commemorating those who have fallen in battle, but a chance to support those who still carry the scars of their service with them. Celebrating the event’s 10th anniversary this year, there are more ways than ever to get involved. From hosting your own fundraising events, to endurance karting and entering the race at Anglesey, Race of Remembrance is open to everybody.
Race Against Dementia
Race Against Dementia was founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE – winner of three Formula 1 World Championships – after his wife Helen was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia.
Race Against Dementia identifies, funds and guides pioneering scientist and research teams across the world including in the UK, Australia, Europe, South Africa and the USA. All are striving to achieve better diagnoses, understand risks, develop treatments and find a cure for dementia – faster.
Race Against Dementia applies a Formula One mindset to train researchers and research teams, disrupting current practice, sharing technologies and forging new collaborations across disciplines, institutions and industries.
Race Against Dementia has partnerships with Formula One, Red Bull Racing, McLaren Racing, The James Dyson Foundation, Randox, and the John Clark Motor Group.
“Coming from an industry where pioneering engineering is at its best, I believe that by investing in innovative and collaborative research driven by the world’s most promising scientific talent, we will accelerate the identification and development of novel drugs with the potential to transform the lives of patients and their loved ones. Your donations will fund this ground-breaking research into new treatments so that together we can cure dementia. I hope that mine and my wife’s story encourages people around the world to join us in the ultimate race.”
Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
Mind
With the support of a Formula 1 team, which has a global following, the team at Mind know they can reach even more people experiencing a mental health problem, and who might need help.
The partnership with McLaren Racing, which ran from July 2020 to December 2022, raised a huge amount of money to support people experiencing a mental health problem. The partnership also raised significant awareness of mental health and Mind among McLaren Racing’s workforce, within the wider Formula 1 industry, and with fans across the world. During the partnership, the McLaren Racing drivers spoke publicly in both the press and on social media about the importance of looking after their mental health as athletes in a high-pressured sport; from being able to perform on track with full focus, to confronting and dealing with pressures off it. Lando Norris supported the By Your Side campaign.
Research by Mind has found that nearly a third of people say that hearing celebrities or those in the public eye talk about mental health helps to normalise the topic, and more than one in 10 have sought support for their mental health because of this.
Throughout Mind’s partnership with McLaren Racing, the charity advised and supported their workplace wellbeing programme to help staff with their mental health.
In the summer of 2023, Mind was chosen in a staff vote to become Mercedes’ charity partner. Mind has lots of exciting moments coming up, including regular Go-Karting fundraisers and a much-anticipated charity football rematch between Mercedes and Aston Martin later this month.
Both Mercedes F1 drivers have also talked passionately about mental health before, and Mind will continue to work alongside the team to support the drivers to do even more of this.
British Motorsport Trust
The British Motor Sports Training Trust was first established in May 1977 to specifically support the safety training of volunteer marshals and officials across the sport. The Trust adopted its new working title of the ‘British Motorsport Trust’ during 2023 to emphasise that available grant aid support was not limited purely to training.
The Trust has three ‘pillars’ of activity:
- Its continuing support of volunteer officials’ safety Training through Motorsport UK approved programmes
- The Trust’s Safety Development Fund, which primarily supports the provision and equipping of licensed Medical / Rescue Units which are active in our sport and which rely on Medics and trained and qualified volunteers to enhance safety management in general and also to deliver potentially life-saving skills at major incidents, and this alongside Trust grant aid support towards costs for certain venue safety improvements (where supported by the Motorsport UK Safety Inspectorate).
- Special Projects – the latest example of which has been its support given through a partnership funding arrangement with Motorsport UK and Circuit Owners / Operators to enable the progressive introduction of FIA specification light panels across a range of UK race circuit to further improve safety.
The Trust relies on charitable donations and income from investments to fund its work. In the last couple of years there has been an increase in the number and level of legacy bequests generously made by benefactors, which have been most welcome, and donations small or large can be made individually by any enthusiasts or supporters of motorsport through the ‘Donate’ button on the homepage of the Trust website.
Every single donation made benefits the Charity and further assists its good work.