SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is getting a helping hand from the Thruxton Superbike Championships. Thruxton Circuit invite the charity every year to the event to help raise awareness of the work the charity does and also much needed funds for the Hampshire veteran community.
Lorne Mitchener, Sales Manager at Thruxton Circuit said: “It has been a pleasure to assist SSAFA Hampshire. Without the Armed Forces there would be no Thruxton, bearing in mind that the Circuit layout is the old RAF airfield roadways joined up to make a track. Thruxton is truly humbled that the very little we can offer plays some role in the amazing work that SSAFA does.”
SSAFA runs the biker’s cloakroom at the Bennetts British SuperBike Championship event, storing visitor’s helmets and leathers so they do not have to carry them around the event all day.
Ash Ashbridge, SSAFA Hampshire volunteer said: “SSAFA Hampshire is very grateful to Thruxton, who allow us to come every year. In the past we have raised around £1,500 from the biker’s cloakroom alone, which helps us to deliver lifechanging assistance to veterans in Hampshire.”
SSAFA’s fundraising at Thruxton motoring events is assisted by Guy Shepherd, a collector of military memorabilia. Guy brings various vehicles and interesting artefacts to display at the SSAFA area of the Circuit, which bring in the crowds and instigates much interest in the military and its work.
Guy said: “SSAFA is a great charity and I want to help as much as I can. I have an extensive collection of vehicles and it is great to be able to put them on display for a good cause.
“We’ll be bringing a 1997 Parachute Regiment Honda motorbike, some military quadbikes from Afghanistan, an SAS Dessert Patrol Vehicle, and a WMIK. The most exciting thing though is a captured Russian ORLAN-10 drone, which was recently brought down near Bakhmut in the Ukraine. I don’t think there is another one in the UK and it’s really interesting to see something so current, that you only usually get to see in the newspapers and on TV.”
The Thruxton Superbike Championships are on the 11th to the 13th August. If you are interested in volunteering for SSAFA, please see a member of the team at their stand at the event, or visit: ssafa.org.uk/volunteer
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for serving personnel, veterans and their families in their time of need. In 2022 our trained teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 59,000 people, including veterans, serving personnel (regulars and reserves) and their families. Since 1885 we have provided welfare and wellbeing assistance that is tailored to our Armed Forces community. We know about the unique demands of service life, whether in the UK or overseas, and we continue to meet the demand for support to enable the entire Armed Forces family to thrive. SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person and their family, any time they need us and in any way they need us.
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