Mission Motorsport Newsletter -December 2024
Season’s Greetings!
As 2024 comes to a close, we’ve been reflecting on another successful year of recovery sport. It has been a year packed full of events – some firm favourites and some new editions to the calendar. 2024 has seen our most successful Race of Remembrance to date and that has been in no small part due to your support and commitment. Thank you for joining us for the ride! It has been truly wonderful to share so many happy and exciting memories with you all and we hope you have enjoyed our activities as much as the team have enjoyed delivering them.
Staff will be taking some well-earned Christmas leave and the office will close on Friday 20th December and reopen on Thursday 2nd January. We’d like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a very happy, successful New Year.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you; beneficiaries, volunteers, sponsors, partners and supporters for your continued support, we really couldn’t do it without you! We’ll be doing it all again in 2025, so please keep your eye peeled for next year’s calendar of events which will be published soon!
The MM Team
Latest News
A Race of Remembrance We’ll Never Forget!
The tenth anniversary of Race of Remembrance didn’t disappoint even if the weather did! Within the 56 teams starting on the grid, our newly built Subaru BRZ with hand controls allowed four beneficiaries using wheelchairs to race and even saw a JLR Armed Forces Community Network entry. With the RAF victorious, the event was watched by over 29,000 viewers across the weekend. We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our beneficiaries, race teams, Anglesey Circuit, BARC and the Thruxton team, BRSCC and of course all of those who generously gave up their time to volunteer for not only bringing the event to life, but for making it the most successful to date. We cannot wait for 2025!
The SMMT Annual Dinner Raises £4,920 for Mission Motorsport
On the 26th November, we had the great pleasure of being the supported charity at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Annual Dinner. Hosted at the Grosvenor hotel, the SMMT dinner sees key personalities from the automotive sector come together and we were excited to have the newly adapted eBay project car supported by Subaru on display.
We'd like to thank all those who participated in the charity raffle & who helped raise £4,920 to help support our work with those affected by their military service.
PistonHeads Sunday Service Raises over £2000
On the 1st December, we were thrilled to join our friends at PistonHeads for their last Sunday Service of the year. Operating the skidpan, we were delighted to give the PistonHeads crew the chance to put their driving skills to the test and get up close and personal with Thruxton Circuit in our Walk the Track event. We’d like to say a huge thank you to PistonHeads for the invite and all of those who attend the event.
Banter, Brews & Cars – The Christmas Edition
Last week, we headed up to Wigan to take over Three Sisters Circuit for the final time in 2024. Over 27 members of the Armed Forces Community joined us for some festive motoring fun equipped in their finest Christmas Jumpers. We'd like to say a huge thank you to Three Sisters Circuit for all of their support and provision of a fantastic venue, our amazing volunteer drivers for giving up their time and passenger seats to help make lasting memories and of course our beneficiaries for making it another memorable year of recovery sport activity.
Veterans @ Heritage – Mulled Wine & Mince Pies
Kindly hosted by Hedley Studios , we celebrated the season with members of the Armed Forces community friends, and volunteers with mince pies and mulled wine.We were also thrilled to welcome the specialist companies based at Bicester Heritage to say a heartfelt thank you for their continued support.
Please watch this space for details of 2025 dates!
Daylight & Headlights – The Ultimate Track Day & Night at Anglesey Circuit
10th January 2025
We're excited to announce that in a UK motorsport first, Mission Motorsport and Anglesey Circuit / Trac Môn have joined forces to deliver something extraordinary – the first-ever combined Track Day and Track Night fundraising event! But that’s not all, we’re training the circuit rescue and recovery crews in High Voltage skills - the IMI qualifications that will equip the circuit to welcome EVs, Hybrids and ICE cars onto the track for the very first time.
Upcoming Events
Bicester Scramble
Sunday 5th January 2024
Thanks to the generosity of Bicester Heritage and the Scramble events team, Mission Motorsport beneficiaries can attend the first Scramble event of 2025 for free! A sold-out event, the Scramble is an opportunity for classic vehicle enthusiasts to come together and enjoy a relaxed gathering as well as the chance to gain a glimpse inside the 50 specialist businesses now based at Bicester Heritage.
If you would like to be in with a chance of getting tickets, please email team@missionmotorsport.org. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Banter, Brews & Cars: Passenger Rides & Driver Development
15th January, Three Sisters Circuit
We’re back at Wigan! Thanks to our dedicated team of volunteer drivers, we have an impressive lineup of speed machines that will captivate even the most devoted petrolheads. With exclusive access to the circuit throughout the day, you'll have all the time you need to relish as many rides as your heart desires. In addition to this, you'll have the chance to enhance your skills with driver development sessions, with the opportunity to take a Mission Motorsport car out for a few laps yourself.
Smith and Sniff live at the PistonHeads Haynes Motor Museum Sunday Service
19th January
Our friends at PistonHeads have teamed up with Smith and Sniff for their first Sunday Service of 2025 and will be recording an episode of their massively popular podcast live in front of an audience at the Haynes Motor Museum, starting at 11:00. Jonny and Richard will chat cars and many other things for roughly an hour followed by an audience Q&A. Thanks to the generosity of PistonHeads, all ticket fees (£20 + Eventbrite Fee each) will be donated to Mission Motorsport. With only 200 tickets up for grabs, please order now to avoid disappointment!
National Transition Event 2025
Monday 24th February, The Wing, Silverstone
Exclusively for Service Leavers, Reservists, Veterans & family members join us at the 'The Wing', Silverstone Circuit's state-of-the-art conference centre, surrounded by the UK's most iconic race circuit to meet with businesses, Service charities, Government agencies and the Ministry of Defence to find out more about opportunities that await you as you seek to find your next career.
VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Daylight & Headlights – The Ultimate Track Day & Night at Anglesey Circuit
10th January 2025
We’re seeking a handful of volunteers to help us deliver the first-ever combined Track Day and Track Night fundraising event at Anglesey. For more information or to volunteer for this event, please email the team at volunteering@missionmotorsport.org
Smith and Sniff live at the PistonHeads Haynes Motor Museum Sunday Service Sunday
19th January
We’re seeking volunteers who can help book in attendees at the PistonHeads Podcast recording of Smith and Sniff. If you are available and would like to help, please contact the team via email at volunteering@missionmotorsport.org
FUNDRAISING
Alex Robbins completed his 277 mile walk from Wantage to Race of Remembrance
We’re incredibly proud of Alex Robbins, who recently completed an inspiring walk to the Race of Remembrance to support Mission Motorsport. Covering an impressive distance, Alex’s journey was a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination shared by the veterans and families we serve. Through his efforts, Alex raised an outstanding current total of £8,000, helping us continue delivering life-changing recovery, rehabilitation, and transition programs. Thank you, Alex, for your incredible dedication and support!
Sadie’s Amazing #YourRoR2024 Challenge
Eight-year-old Sadie Wilson, a determined military child, took on an incredible 10For10 challenge, completing 10 bike rides of 10km each and she raised £145 for Mission Motorsport. “Sometimes I really didn’t feel like going out on my bike,” Sadie shared, “but I felt proud for doing it afterwards. I enjoyed my challenge and thinking about what I could do for my next one.”
There’s still time to donate to Sadie’s’ fundraiser here
The Biathlon of Foolishness: Fun and Fundraising Success!
The Biathlon of Foolishness at this year’s Race of Remembrance was nothing short of spectacular! Participants donned outrageous costumes to race a section of the track, dash down the cliff for a bracing dip in the Irish Sea, and then sprint back across the grass to the start line. Thanks to everyone’s fantastic efforts, this year’s BoF fundraising campaign raised an impressive £1,844. Additional funds came from fines for teams without an entrant in the BoF and other fundraising pages, bringing the grand total to over £2,500! A huge thank you and well done go to the Marshalls on Tour, Mission Motorsport’s own Laura and Rachel, Catriona McCann, Mark Layton, Frank Hall, and all the donors who made this possible. If you took part and your friends are still laughing at your "foolishness," remind them they can still support the cause by donating here.
Shop online and generate funds for Mission Motorsport
Did you know, when you sign up to Give As You Live the retailers you shop with will make a donation to us for every purchase you make? It’s completely free, and the funds help us to keep supporting the Armed Forces Community.
Every fundraiser, doing something big or small, makes a difference. We rely on our amazing Fundraising Force to help us continue providing life-changing recovery, rehabilitation, and transition support. If you are fundraising for us or even thinking about it, let us know at fundraising@missionmotorsport.org
Health & Wellbeing Over The Christmas Period
For many Christmas is a happy time of year, but for some, it can be tough. If you or someone you know are struggling and are in need of support, there are services open that will be able to help.
The first point of contact for veterans seeking support. We put veterans and their families in touch with the organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more.
The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.
Call 0808 175 3075 (freephone)
Email jo@samaritans.org for the veterans support hub (open 24/7).
Armed Forces Text CONTACT to 85258
Text SHOUT to 85258 (General Public)
Free Hotline: 0800 952 0774
More Information: www.riverside.org.uk/opfortitude
Telephone 0300 123 3393
Visit www.mind.org.uk
OTHER INFORMATION
Digital Veteran Card to make accessing support even easier for ex-service personnel
Veterans will be able to download their digital card instantly after applying, while their paper card is processed and posted, under new plans announced in November to speed up access to services. A digital Veteran Card will be more convenient for smartphone users, making sure people can prove their veteran status as easily as possible and enables access to a range of support services which are often essential, from help with housing, to enhanced support to find employment and reduced train fares.
Veterans Get Greater Access to Social Housing
Housing support for veterans across the UK has been guaranteed after the government committed millions of pounds of new additional funding for veterans’ homelessness support programmes. The extension follows the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent pledge to deliver “homes for heroes” and means that under this government, support will be there for veterans at risk of homelessness – not only this Christmas but throughout 2025, including next Christmas and into 2026.
The Bunny Ennis Fund: A chance to receive career enhancing support and funding
In conjunction with the Autocar Drivers of Change awards, Lynda Ennis, co-founder of Ennis & Co will present a new, special award in memory of her late father, Bernard ‘Bunny’ Ennis, to support an individual on their career within automotive. Bunny Ennis worked in the automotive sector for his entire career alongside being a tireless campaigner and fund-raiser for fellow World War II veterans. Showing the generosity of spirit that underpinned his larger-than-life personality, he bequeathed a sum of money to help create opportunities in the industry he loved. The newly established Bunny Ennis Fund will provide an annual training bursary for an individual already working in automotive or who hopes to join the industry.
Mission Community at the heart of the Veterans Work Report
The Veterans Work collaboration surveyed over 1,400 veterans and employers, to reflect on the many positive changes that have been made in veteran employment and assess what still needs to be done to improve the veteran employment experience. Mission Community is proud to be associated with the report led by Deloitte alongside Forces Employment Charity, Forces in Mind Trust, Defence Relationship Management (DRM) and others. The Report has found that: Veterans excel in three skills that employers believe are crucial for the future of work: planning and organisation, problem-solving and adaptability, and teamwork. Even with advancements in AI, employers recognise that human skills like empathy and teamwork remain crucial for business success, and veterans excel in these areas.
Mission Community: Join Us to Shape the Future of the Rural Sector
The rural and land-based sector offers an exciting, rewarding, and vital career path - perfectly aligned with the skills and determination veterans bring to the workforce. We’re thrilled to announce the launch of a transformative sector initiative aimed at paving the way for service leavers to make agriculture, horticulture, and the wider land-based sector their career destination of choice. We’re looking for case studies from veterans who’ve transitioned into the rural and land-based sector. Your experiences could inspire countless others to consider this vibrant field. Whether you’ve found success in agriculture, horticulture, or conservation, your story can highlight the opportunities and potential for service leavers. We’re looking for case studies from veterans - your experiences could inspire countless others and could highlight the opportunities and potential for service leavers. Contact Daisy via email at dc@missioncommunity.org .
This new initiative will be officially launched on 15th January 2025 at the LAMMA Show, the UK’s premier agricultural machinery event held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. The event is free to attend and will feature special opportunities tailored for veterans exploring their next chapter.