Category: Organisations

1. Royal Automobile Club’s Torrens Trophy awarded to Peter Hickman, Emma Bristow and Crescent Yamaha

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 16th Mar 2022

   The Royal Automobile Club honoured three winners of its prestigious Torrens Trophy at a presentation dinner on Monday 14 March at the Pall Mall clubhouse in London.  It was the first time the Trophy could be awarded in person since speedway legend Tai Woffinden was recognised for claiming his third Speedway World Championship in 2018.   Guests included James Toseland and Ian Kerr MBE - both past winners of the Torrens Trophy - plus a notable roll call of motorcycling personalities and industry figures, including 2021 British Superbike Champion Tarran Mackenzie.   Three trophies were awarded, the first being to 2019 winner Peter Hickman for his trio of Isle of Man TT victories that year, and for seeing the world's fastest motorcycle road lap record of 136.415 mph at the Ulster Grand Prix. Staffordshire-born Hickman has become one of the leading road-racers and his TT wins were described by former racer Barrie Baxter – Chairman of the Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee – as being ‘pure poetry’. Hickman said: 'I'm obviously really proud to have won the Royal Automobile Club's Torrens Trophy.  It's such a prestigious trophy that many great names have won over the years.  A massive thank you to Alan, Rebecca and everyone at the former Smiths Racing Team.' After a two-year hiatus, the Isle of Man TT returns this year and Hickman is looking forward to picking up where he left off in 2019. With five TT wins now under his belt, he’s determined to add to that, and has entered six races including Superbike, Supersport, Superstock and Supertwin.   The 2020 Torrens Trophy winner was Emma Bristow, who claimed her seventh consecutive FIM Women's Trial World Championship.  Bristow’s success marked the first time in more than 40 years that the Torrens Trophy has been awarded to a female motorcyclist. It’s also the first time that the trials world has been recognised, despite that discipline being close to the heart of Arthur Bourne. The former Editor of The Motor Cycle and Vice Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club wrote a column under the pen name ‘Torrens’, and it was in his honour that the trophy was inaugurated in 1979.     In 2014, Bristow became the first British rider to win the Women’s FIM Trial World Championship and continues to dominate the sport at an international level. In 2020, she won the title after going unbeaten in the TrialGP Women class, with six wins from six starts.   Having started riding motorcycles at the age of four, the 31-year-old from Louth, Lincolnshire is now a nine-times world champion, having also won two World SuperEnduro Championships. Add to her tally 10 Women’s British Trials Championships, two Women’s European Trials Championships, one Latin American Championship (mixed gender category) and she’s without doubt one of the UK’s most successful female athletes.   Bristow said: ‘I’m truly honoured to have won the Torrens Trophy – and to be the first female winner. I’m really looking forward to 2022 and I’m already working hard to try to win another World Championship and break the current record of 35 GP wins. I still want to keep improving and developing as a rider. Yes, I hope my success inspires more girls to get into two-wheeled motorsport, but for me it’s also about girls seeing it’s not just the men who can ride bikes at a high level. We can succeed if we work hard, and this is something I’m really passionate about.’    The final winner on the night was the Crescent Yamaha WorldSBK team, which was awarded the Torrens Trophy for becoming the first British team to win the Riders', Teams' and Manufacturers' titles in the 2021 FIM World Superbike Championship.     Founded by Edward ‘Ted’ Denning – who rode his Triumph in Guernsey’s sand races before World War Two – Crescent Racing has been competing at the top level in national and international racing for the past 25 years. It has won races and Championships in everything from British Superbikes and World Superbikes to MotoGP, enduro and moto cross, and since 2016 it has run the official Yamaha team in World Superbikes from a state-of-the-art purpose-built facility in Dorset.   Paul Denning, Managing Director of Crescent and Team Principal, was delighted to receive the prestigious award: ‘We have been aware of the Torrens Trophy for many years and have greatly enjoyed seeing such British stars as Sam Sunderland and Cal Crutchlow receive it in the past. For Crescent Yamaha to be recognised by the Royal Automobile Club and the Torrens committee is a real honour and we are so proud to receive the 2021 award, which only adds to the satisfaction of the team’s achievements last year. We are now very much focused on looking forward towards the 2022 season and doing everything we can to again be competitive, but the Torrens Trophy is a great way to cap off 2021!’   Royal Automobile Club Chairman Ben Cussons said: ‘The Royal Automobile Club has always had a close association with the motorcycling world since the Club formed the Auto Cycle Club in 1903, which went on to become the Auto Cycle Union in 1947. I would like to extend a huge congratulations to our Torrens Trophy winners for the past three years and thank Peter, Emma and the Crescent Yamaha team for their outstanding achievements and contribution to the motorcycling scene – they are everything the Torrens Trophy represents; each of them providing a true showcase of British motorcycling skill and technical excellence’     In addition to Ben Cussons, the Club’s Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee consists of ex-motorbike and car racer Barrie Baxter, respected motorcycle journalist and TT winner Mat Oxley, commentator and former racer Steve Parrish, Club member Richard Bourne (son of Arthur Bourne), and ‘Queen of Bikers’ Maria Costello MBE, who has held the Guinness World Record for being the fastest woman to lap the Isle of Man TT course.   The Torrens Trophy The Torrens Trophy recognises an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of safe and skilful motorcycling in the United Kingdom, or to have made an outstanding contribution of technical excellence to further the cause of motorcycling in the UK, or to have shown outstanding skill in international motorcycling sporting events.   The Torrens Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motorcycling journalist who wrote a column under the name ‘Torrens’. Arthur Bourne was also a Vice-Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. It is awarded only when the Club feels that the achievement justifies it. Previous winners of the Torrens Trophy include:   2018 Tai Woffinden for being the most successful British speedway rider in history. 2017 Jonathan Rea MBE for being the first rider to win three consecutive World Superbike Championships. 2016 MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow for being first British rider to win a premier class World Championship Motorcycle Grand Prix in 35 years. 2015 Eleven-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson for his outstanding determination, courage and overcoming adversity to win multiple TTs. 2014 Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne for becoming the first man in history to be crowned British Superbike Championship on four occasions (2003, 2008, 2012 and 2014). 2013 Tom Sykes for being crowned the 15th World Superbike Champion, the fourth from Great Britain and only the second rider to win for Kawasaki in the series for 20 years. 2008 World Superbike Champion James Toseland was awarded the Trophy for his immense contribution to raising the profile of motorcycle racing in this country. 1998 Ian Kerr of the Metropolitan Police for 20 years of tireless work in promoting safe and responsible motorcycling. 1989 BMW in recognition for its contribution to motorcycle safety through the development of its anti-lock braking system. 1981 Dave Taylor MBE for his vast contribution to motorcycle road safety. 1980 Transport and Road Laboratory. 1979 Lieutenant-Colonel Fredrick Lovegrove OBE. The Royal Automobile Club The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907, the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing the Club’s status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organisation.   The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, which remains the oldest continuously competed-for motorsport event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, while continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.   Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and RAC Foundation while promoting its own motoring events including London Motor Week, which features the free-to-attend Regent Street Motor Show and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. The Royal Automobile Club also awards a series of historic trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Tourist Trophy, the Dewar Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Torrens Trophy and the Diamond Jubilee Trophy.

2. Two-wheeled fundraising drive for SSAFA Staffordshire in Bradley's name

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 7th Feb 2022

   The tragic death of Sapper Bradley Parks in 2019 has been the inspiration for several fundraising events for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity and the latest has been with motorcycle group 365 Warriors. More than £660 raised by 365 Warriors will go to the Staffordshire branch of SSAFA.  

   Bradley served in 26 Engineer Regiment, part of the Royal Engineers, based in Tidworth and was diagnosed with bipolar in April 2019, just three months before he took his life. He was in the process of leaving the Army after four years’ service and would have been discharged in February 2020.

   John and Rachel Parks – Bradley’s parents – have been raising awareness about mental health and help others who are suffering by supporting SSAFA. Their good friends Mark Pearman and Lydia Holmes, who run 365 Warriors, have supported them in this and with earlier two-wheeled fundraising activities.

   Lydia said that 365 Warriors took groups of bikers out on rideouts into the Peak District and surrounding areas, charging £5 per bike, with many donating more. Mark and Lydia, who run M & L Detailing, gave £5 to SSAFA from each bike cleaned. They also held a fun day at a local pub and an auction on Facebook, and sold bike decals and cups, all adding to the generous tally.

   Explaining further 365 Warriors’ reason for supporting SSAFA in Bradley’s name, Lydia said: “We’re a charity bike group, and we raise money for good causes by doing what we love: riding our motorbikes, because bikes are our passion and our life.”

   Anne MacKinnon, Branch Secretary of SSAFA Staffordshire, added: “The tragic death of Bradley, a young man who became a Sapper to serve his country, has touched the hearts of many in the Forces family, and outside it, around the country. On behalf of SSAFA Staffordshire, I am extremely grateful to Lydia and Mark, 365 Warriors, and all those bikers and others who supported this fundraising drive in Bradley’s name.”

   To find out more about SSAFA and the support it provides, visit ssafa.org.uk

   

   SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, has been providing lifelong support to our Forces and their families since 1885. In 2020, our teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 79,000 people in need, from Second World War veterans to young men and women who have served in more recent conflicts, and their families. The SSAFA family includes the Military Wives Choirs, both an independent charity and a subsidiary of SSAFA, which supports women across the military community. SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person – any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us. ssafa.org.uk

    

    

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3. Ben launches new website to improve support for automotive community

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 20th Jan 2022

   • New Ben website offers tools and resources to help people struggling or in crisis.
   • Easier to navigate with improved access to key information, the new site will help to reach more people than ever before.
   • New site designed to provide health and wellbeing information, advice and self-help for the automotive industry and its people.

   Ben, the automotive industry charity, is proud to announce the launch of its new website for 2022 – www.ben.org.uk - designed to offer quick and easy access to essential self-help tools and resources to help improve the health and wellbeing of the automotive industry across the UK.

   The demand for support has reached an all-time high, with more people than ever contacting Ben for help since the emergence of the Covid pandemic. Online support in particular is in high demand, with Ben noting a massive 184% increase in web visitors from October 2016 compared to October 2021.

   The Ben team acknowledged a need to strengthen the charity’s online offering, to support both automotive employees reaching out for help and the many employers who work with Ben to improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce too.

   While the web address hasn’t changed, Ben’s website has undergone a huge transformation. The site is fully responsive across all devices and offers a simpler navigation, clearly signposting to self-help tools and resources. Tips, advice and tools are offered for a range of topics, such as money worries, physical and mental health, self-care tips, stress, sleep, loneliness, resilience, bereavement and more, with further self-help content scheduled for development this year.

   The site also offers an enhanced user experience for those visiting the site, including those wishing to find out more about becoming a donor, who would like to participate in Ben’s latest fundraising events and opportunities, and for those seeking information about Ben care services.

   Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “The launch of the new website is really exciting for us, not only because it will enable us to increase our reach to the automotive industry and its people, but it also serves as a huge opportunity to offer industry people access to many self-help tools and resources, designed to help them earlier and prevent them from reaching crisis point.

   “Our aim is to help individuals navigate through life’s challenges, empowering them to make positive, lasting change. If we can intervene at an early stage and connect individuals with the right information, advice and guidance, we stand a much better change of preventing issues from arising in the first place or developing into something that could have a much more serious impact.

   “The new website will go a long way towards getting the message out there to our automotive family – to ensure they know they are not alone, Ben is on hand to help them as and when they need it.”

   When any member of our automotive family is struggling or in crisis, we all rally to support them.

   The new Ben website is live at www.ben.org.uk For employers who would like to find out more about working in partnership with Ben, or who would be interested in discussing Health & Wellbeing training for employees contact Rachel Clift, Health & Wellbeing Director at Ben: [email protected].

4. Spin e-scooter trials in Essex are extended to until at least March 2022

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 20th Oct 2021

   • More than 450,000 rides have taken on Spin e-scooters across Essex since launching in December 2020
   • Operations have been extended in Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester. The Clacton-on-Sea trial will conclude by end of October
   • Accessibility schemes that offer free 30-minute rides for eligible NHS workers and subsidised rates for unemployed and low-income riders continue in areas we operate in

   Thursday 14th October 2021 — Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford Motor Company and Essex County Council today announce the extension of its e-scooter hire schemes in Essex to March 2022, aligned with the updated Department for Transport (DfT) legislation. In agreement with the local authority districts, Spin will continue to offer short term hire to riders in Basildon, Chelmsford and Colchester and it will conclude the trial in Clacton-on-Sea by the end of this month. Spin’s long-term e-scooter rental scheme in Brentwood and Braintree will also carry on.

   Spin first launched its public hire e-scooter scheme in Essex in December 2020 and since then riders have taken more than 450,000 e-scooter rides. Chelmsford has seen the most rides (146,000), followed by Colchester (143,000), Basildon (124,000) and Clacton-on-Sea, which was launched in March 2021 (37,500).

   The extension also includes the Spin Access and Spin Everyday Heroes schemes to support NHS workers and low-income riders with free and subsidised rides in Essex, to make essential journeys affordable. Since launch, Spin’s Everyday Heroes programme had 947 NHS workers signing up while nearly 100 riders are taking advantage of Spin Access.

   In Clacton-on-Sea, the eight-month trial will conclude and operations will cease by the end of October. During this period nearly 6,000 riders opted for Spin’s greener transport option, clocking 37,500 journeys. Out of these riders, 40 work for the NHS, who were able to take advantage of Spin Everyday Heroes’ free rides and 20 riders on low income benefited from Spin Access’ subsidised rates.

   Rider data reveals Spin e-scooters are most often used for short journeys, on average 3 km in distance and 23 minutes in length, with 82% of riders stating they have used a Spin e-scooter to replace a solo drive car journey at least once already. This is aiding Essex County Council (ECC) in its goal to lower carbon emissions across the region as part of its Safer, Greener, Healthier campaign. 

   As part of Spin’s commitment to safe riding, it helped convene the Essex E-scooter Trial Stakeholder Group, which represents various disability interest groups across the county. They work in partnership with Spin to ensure that those with eyesight, hearing impairments or other disabilities can voice their concerns through a single organisation.

   Peter Blackman, Chair, Essex E-scooter Trial Stakeholder Group said: “The extension of the trial is sensible and welcome as it will provide more time to implement and examine the efficacy of ongoing improvements arising from the constructive dialogue our Group is having with Spin and Essex County Council. Plus the Essex experiences are influencing the national framework. By the end of the extended trial we trust legislation will be forthcoming to provide a smooth transfer from trial to the permanent, but continually improving, safe use of legitimate e-scooters and eradication of the dangerous illegal private ones. In accordance with the recently revised Highway Code, users of all e-vehicles must assume all pedestrians they see may be visually impaired, deaf, frail or have a disability.”

   Commenting on the trial extension, Steve Pyer, UK&I Country Manager at Spin said, “The success of our e-scooter trials in Essex represents an exciting shift to a more sustainable transport solution aligned with Essex County Council’s Safer Green Healthier campaign. Our community-centred, consultative approach with local authorities and collaboration with the Essex E-scooter Trial Stakeholder group demonstrates that micromobility solutions can provide a safe, sustainable, and reliable service that meet the needs of all residents.”

    

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5. Speedway — The UK’s Lost Motorcycle Racing

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 11th Oct 2021

   Go back a few decades and many towns up and down the UK had thriving speedway teams. Sadly though, over the years, those teams have slowly folded for one reason or another. The Bradford Dukes, the Crew Kings, the Ellesmere Port Gunners, the Hull Vikings, and the Newport Wasps are just some of the dozens of names that have been lost in the last few decades.  

   Speedway has excited fans of everything two wheels for around 100 years, with the first races taking place in Australia before spreading to the UK in early 1928. Throughout the 20th century, especially during its second half, interest in the sport grew and grew.  

   It is believed that around 30,000 people turned up to watch the first British speedway meeting at High Beech, a figure that would put it on par with a lower-table Premier League football club today.  

   Through the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, people would cram into local stadiums to watch their team battle it out on track against a visiting opponent. Today, however, many fans have to travel long distances just to go and watch a match. For example, fans of the former Ellesmere Port Gunners team now have to choose between the Belle Vue Aces in Manchester or the Stoke Potters as their home team, both of which are an hour’s drive away.  

   But as the general populace lost interest in motorcycles, speedway fell into decline. 

   What Makes Speedway Different? 

   Any lover of bikes will know there are plenty of two-wheeled motorsports in the world. Here on the British Isles, we’re treated to the Isle of Man TT each year, as well as a round of MotoGP, and our own domestic circuit and dirt racing competitions.  

   Speedway is different. A speedway bike has no brakes and no gears. A meeting is made up of a couple of dozen four-lap heats that are quick sprints around an oval where riders get within millimetres of each other as they slide their machines through shale-covered corners.  

   Anyone that’s been to a speedway meeting will know the unique smell that comes from the methanol-fueled engines. For fans, that smell brings back memories of exciting races that only speedway can offer.  

   Unlike categories like MotoGP, speedway (at least at a domestic level) is a team sport. Each heat is all about getting the most points possible for your team, with different riders coming out each time to make their contribution to the tally.  

   Speedway in the UK vs Abroad 

   While speedway still chugs along in the UK, it is a million miles from the sport in continental Europe. Eastern and northern European countries like Poland, Czechia, and Sweden have well-funded leagues and teams, bigger audiences, and larger stadiums to accommodate them.  

   In fact, in Poland, speedway is often in the top-three national sports, whereas it is very much an “also-ran” in the UK’s list.  

   What Holds Speedway Back in Britain? 

   There is no single reason why speedway doesn’t have the same following that it does elsewhere. Interest in bikes is relatively low among the general population in the UK. In fact, money spent on motorcycles declined sharply between 2011 and 2016, with purchases by the booming motorcycle courier sector responsible for the rise in the years since.  

   The cost of partaking in any motorsport is incredibly high, and it can become prohibitively expensive if you’re funding it yourself. Stories of talented riders like Lukas Hlavac that are unable to compete due to financial issues are common. The former motocross rider ran out of cash to fund his championship campaign during his first season, forcing him to drop out while leading his division, though he has since gone on to enjoy success in the world of professional poker instead. It’s the same in car racing, the Formula 2 driver David Beckmann had to bow before the end of the 2021 season due to financial pressures.  

   Speedway is not immune to these pressures, but the sport doesn’t have the huge crowds delivering millions in revenue from ticket sales or the huge sponsorship deals that can be seen in other competitions. It’s also why talented speedway riders like Craig Cook have to find innovative ways to raise the funds they need to compete at the levels their skills allow.  

   There is a chicken and egg problem here. The funds won’t come without the crowds, but the crowds can’t be attracted without marketing and promotion, and that costs money.  

   Sadly, this means potentially millions of Brits are missing out on the unrivalled excitement that comes from watching speedway, and could, ultimately, lead to its extinction in the UK.  

    

    

    

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