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Dave Newsham supports road safety charity for young people

By MJP Media | 27 March 2014

British Touring Car Championship driver Dave Newsham and AmD Tuning are teaming up with Lancashire charity YNOT Aspire to promote road safety and safe driving to young people in the county.

YNOT Aspire offers free activities for young people as well as providing support and information to guide them through their education right through to getting a job, helping them to make the most of themselves and to achieve what they aspire to be, encouraging them to help other young people along the way. The charity set up in 2010 originally worked in Accrington and Hyndburn, but has now expanded its coverage within Lancashire due to demand for its services. They have 5 aims: giving diversionary activities for young people free at the point of delivery, volunteer and peer mentoring, 1:1 support and guidance (over 100 young people helped in last 7 months), an opportunity to be heard with councils and other services and forming partnerships with other groups. They also work closely with people who are outside the school system.

As a result of this fantastic new partnership with Dave and AmD, young people and the charity's supporters will get the opportunity to attend practice days and race days throughout the 2014 BTCC season as VIP guests of Dave and his team. Dave will also be going out to the charity later in the year to run a number of sessions with young people involved in the charity to talk about life as a racing driver, his car and the differences between racing and safe driving out on the roads.

Rob Flanagan, chair of trustees for YNOT Aspire said: "We hope that teaming up with Dave and getting the kids out to the track will pique their interest and will give us an opportunity to educate them about road and vehicle safety while giving them the chance to experience, VIP style, the thrills of motor racing. We want to do what we can to help reduce the number of road traffic accidents involving young people and to promote road safety - making them realise that racing should be kept on the track and not on the roads - and this is a fantastic way to do that."

The young people and selected supporters of the charity will get VIP access to the trackside as well as the grid and the pits and Dave will also be showing his support for the charity by displaying their logo on his car and race suit. Dave said: "I am delighted to be working with and promoting YNOT Aspire during what promises to be a very exciting season of BTCC racing. Giving young people access to behind the scenes of our race team is a 'money can't buy' opportunity and I hope everyone who comes along has a great day with us."

Dave continued: "I am also looking forward to using my knowledge not only as a racing driver, but as an experienced road user to educate young people to hopefully become more responsible behind the wheel of a road car. I have been a car driver for 29 years and have never had an accident on the road, too many on the track, but that's another story. This is a very worthy cause that I am proud to be involved with."

Rob continued: "As part of YNOT Aspire's commitment to supporting other agencies in Lancashire, we are keen to speak to charities, organisations and schools around the theme of road safety and how we can work together on this exciting project to reduce road casualties involving young people. If you are interested in reducing road traffic accidents, promoting safer travel and engaging young people in a new and innovative way, please contact us for more information."

Touring Car content supplied by MJP Media