Local residents have raised over £5,000 for vital causes at the annual Brands Hatch Villagers' Day, which was held last Saturday (4 February).
The event is open to anyone living within one mile of the circuit, and provides a chance to enjoy activities offered by the venue, in exchange for a small donation to charity.
After a short briefing session, local residents got the chance
to sample the circuit's driving experience vehicles from behind the
wheel, including the BMW M4, Land Rover Defender and Toyota GT86
rally cars.
Other activities included passenger laps in a Caterham sports car,
driven by an expert instructor, plus YoungDrive MINIs for visitors
aged 11 to 17 to drive, and karting on the venue's dedicated kart
track. In total, nearly 500 experiences were provided during the
day.
The money will go straight to local projects, and the Brands Hatch
Liaison Group, headed by MotorSport Vision's Chief Executive
Jonathan Palmer, has nominated the following causes to receive a
share of the funds raised:
• Rural Age Concern Darent Valley - to provide transport for the
elderly to attend Day Centres, OAP clubs, Shop-Mobility and
shopping trips to town centres and supermarkets
• Fawkham Village Hall committee - a sum will go towards a
commercial cooker for a luncheon club and social gatherings for
older members of the community in conjunction with Rural Age
Concern Cottage Day Centre, Scratchers Lane, Fawkham
• West Kingsdown Preschool - a donation will help fund a new
playground for the school
Brands Hatch Assistant Operations Manager, Adrian Clarke,
commented: "Once again we're delighted to see so many residents
turn out for our annual Villagers' Day, and we thank them for their
continued and valued help in our efforts to raise vital funds for
the local community. It's also a great way to get the season
underway and we're looking forward to welcoming everyone back to
our events this year."