Knockhill Motorsport Fans Get Behind Vertu Food Drive to Support Families
Motorsport fans who attended the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Knockhill have donated more than 186 KG of essential food items, along with financial donations to support families in need, following a public appeal from Tom Ingram and Tom Chilton of Team VERTU.
The Vertu Food Drive, organised in partnership with EXCELR8 Motorsport, aimed to support the Edinburgh Food Project, which runs seven foodbanks across the city and has seen high demand over the summer holidays. Fans responded generously to the team’s call out to deliver tinned food, long-life ready foods and other staples to the Team VERTU Fan Zone throughout the race weekend. To raise further awareness of the campaign, representatives from the foodbank took to the grid alongside Ingram and Chilton in place of traditional grid girls.
Tom Ingram, who drives for Team VERTU, said: “We saw a brilliant response at the last food drive, and Knockhill was no different. After our appeal on social media, people turned up with bags full of donations, and you could tell they really understood why it mattered. It’s not always easy for families during the holidays, and this kind of support goes a long way.
“It was great to see fans getting behind the initiative. You could feel the energy and goodwill around the paddock. It’s a simple thing to do, but it makes a real difference to people who are struggling.”
The appeal followed the success of Vertu’s previous Food Drive earlier this year, which saw hundreds of kilograms of food donated in collaboration with Dunfermline FC. This latest effort was timed to coincide with the BTCC’s return to Knockhill, one of the most popular fixtures in the UK motorsport calendar.
Laura van der Hoeven, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Food Project, said: “We’re seeing more families than ever needing help, and events like this are vital. The donations from Knockhill will help us keep shelves stocked and ensure people aren’t going without. The fans were incredibly generous, and we’re grateful for every single item.”
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu, said: “We’ve got a platform that reaches thousands of people, and it’s important to use it well. The foodbank team do extraordinary work and giving them visibility at Knockhill was the right thing to do. The fans responded brilliantly, and it’s made a real impact.”