Local residents visited Brands Hatch last weekend (Sunday 10 February) for the annual Villagers' Day, with over £6000 raised for projects within the local community.

The event, open to all those living within a one-mile radius of the venue, brought residents the opportunity to test their mettle behind the wheel of some of MSV's thrilling experience vehicles in exchange for a small charity donation.

The day began with a full drivers' briefing before guests took part in activities in an assortment of cars for both on and off-track thrills, from a BMW M4 to a Land Rover Defender and a Toyota GT86 rally car. Attendees could sample the circuit's driving experiences for themselves, or enjoy high-speed passenger laps, with a professional instructor putting the vehicle through its paces. Youngsters aged 11 to 17 could also experience their first driving lesson with YoungDrive! in a MINI One at the famous Kent circuit.

The funds raised on the day will be distributed amongst local worthy causes and the Brands Hatch Liaison Group, headed by MotorSport Vision's Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer, has selected the following groups to benefit from the money:

West Kingsdown Boxing Club - A donation will be made to the club towards two new staircases, providing full access to the club.

King's Church - Money will be donated to help refurbish the church, providing better lighting, replacement flooring and general re-decorating.

West Kingsdown Village Hall - The village hall will receive funds towards refurbishing the facility, which is used for sporting and community events.

West Kingsdown CE Primary School - The school will receive a donation towards purchasing new IT equipment.

Brands Hatch Assistant Operations Manager, Adrian Clarke, commented: "Once again we had another amazing turn out for our annual Villagers' Day, and it was fantastic to see so many smiling faces from the local area. We're pleased that we have such a strong relationship with our local community and can work together to raise funds for local projects. On behalf of everyone at Brands Hatch I would like to thank those who attended and kindly donated towards improving our local area. We look forward to seeing you all here throughout the year at our events."