West Sussex developer’s donation to armed forces charity

Mission Motorsport is an armed forces charity helping members affected by military operations.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has restricted its ability to raise funds putting its support for the armed forces community at risk.

Thakeham, which has supported the charity in recent years, marked Armed Forces day by donating £25,000 to Mission Motorsport.

Rob Boughton, the company’s chief executive officer, said: “We became aware of the situation the charity was facing as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. We were keen that the charity continued its important work for some of the most deserving members of the armed forces. I hope that our donation will help to make a difference.

“Mission Motorsport is a charity close to my heart. It combines my passion for motorsport with Thakeham’s respect for the armed forces.”

Traditionally, Thakeham has supported the Mission Motorsport community at The Goodwood Festival. In the last two years, the home builder donated a total of 300 tickets to the charity for the annual motorsport event.

Mission Motorsport was established in 2012 to assist people through team participation in Motorsport. Since inception in 2012, Mission Motorsport has delivered more than 4,000 training days of sport for almost 1,300 beneficiaries, leading to over 200 placements, and more than 100 jobs.

James Cameron, chief executive officer at Mission Motorsport, said: “Covid presented a double whammy challenge to the charity, it placed great demands on our welfare capability to help beneficiaries and their families to cope and adjust, but it also took away much of our ability to fundraise.

“Thakeham’s quick response and generous donation kept the lights on – and helped us adapt and provide proactive support to our beneficiaries. It meant that we did not have to furlough additional staff and as a result, we’ve been able to make a real impact during these difficult times.

“For example, our support for national volunteering programs have helped veterans feed the NHS, manufacture PPE, assist support programs for impoverished children in London and Manchester, and provide mobile testing in care homes across the country.

“We are hugely grateful to Thakeham for their support – when COVID struck, they were quick to step up in our time of need”

Thakeham has a history of supporting local service people. The Billingshurst-based company supports the annual CTP Employment Fair which introduces service veterans to local and national employers.

Thakeham also runs a ‘Talent for Development’ outreach campaign for military veterans and college leavers. Many former armed service personnel now work for the company have benefited from the program.

Armed Forces Day on Saturday June 27 is an annual opportunity for the country to show support for the men and women from the Armed Forces community. This includes everyone from currently-serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets.

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