DRIVING
force
We chat to Gary Booth, founder of Chequered Flag Motorsport, a CIC which is, quite literally, driving profits for charites and having lots of fun doing it
What is Chequered Flag Motorsport?
We are a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) delivering events for businesses and the general public and donating the profits to charity. We don’t just organise a get-together, our events are centred around our state-of-theart driving simulator which lets you experience the breath-taking feeling of driving a high-speed racing car via a 49-inch curved HD monitor and force feedback controls. This isn’t just a Playstation attachment, it’s a professional piece of kit that racing drivers use! The events are totally free to attend or host, all we ask is that people donate to a charity each time they use the simulator. If you’re a business that wants to host a free, fun event or a racing competition – to reward your staff, promote your brand or products or entertain some important clients, we can do that.
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CHARITABLE TRAVELLER
Why did you start a CIC?
I was struck down by a stroke in 1994 at the age of 31 and found myself completely paralysed down my left side, unable to talk or walk and faced with a mountain of challenges to get my life back to something like normality. The focus for after care was very much on the physical side so as soon as I was up and moving about I was deemed ok and sent on my merry way, but afterwards I struggled hugely with my mental health. I also lost my career and struggled financially. The experience made me want to fundraise to help others but the time wasn’t right. In 2018 I was made redundant and, having been left with a small amount of money and some spare time, I set about looking into how I could make money for charity. Purely by chance, I visited a motorbike factory where they had a simulator. The idea struck me: if I could find a mobile one of these I could take it to events
and charge people to use it. I found a manufacturer and that was it.
What happens at one of your events?
I run each event as a competition. We select one track and one car from the simulator programme and stick with that for the night and people can have a go and see how fast they can complete it. We have a prize, usually donated by the motorsport community – things like signed racing memorabilia or an alloy wheel coffee table – and we have a leaderboard, a bit like in the TV programme Top Gear. We also do a presentation at the events about our charities, so people are aware of what they are supporting by taking part.
How do you ensure you raise enough money to cover your costs?
It’s the competition aspect that really makes it work because it takes over.
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