Wiper blade manufacturer, TRICO, recently raised £6,576 with its distributor, A1 Motor Stores, for a charity that hosts driving days for disabled people and presented the cheque at its TRICO and A1 sponsored track day event.

During a six week period in summer, TRICO and A1 raised the money for the charity, Speed Of Sight, which is based in Bolton and run by blind race car driver and multiple World Record holder, Mike Newman and his co-founder, John Galloway.

To celebrate the money raised, TRICO and A1 decided to sponsor a track day Speed Of Sight were hosting at Teeside Karting, where 18 disabled participants drove themselves around the track, with a driving instructor also in the car, in case they needed support.

TRICO’s Group Brand & Marketing Manager (Europe), Sam Robinson, said, “I’ve attended a few of the Speed Of Sight track days and it never fails to amaze me, to see the excited reactions from the participants, along with the people they bring with them, is truly humbling and something I’m proud that TRICO supports.”

Kym Smith, A1’s product manager for wiper blades, was able to experience a blindfolded driving experience on the day and said: “The experience of driving round a race track in a blindfold with nothing more than an instructor correcting your mistakes so you don’t crash, can only be described as terrifying. All your knowledge and experience of how to drive are thrown out of the window.”

Kym added, “The work the volunteers and instructors do is incredible, I give enormous credit to every single one of them. They’re professional, reassuring and turn a daunting experience for some into a memory they will never forget. The proof of this in the smiles and joyful tears of the children and adults that experience it.”

CEO of Speed Of Sight, Mike Newman, commented: “It was fantastic to have staff from TRICO and A1 join us for our track day to help out and witness what their money is going towards. We talk to a lot of people about our charity and how it changes the lives of the people who come, but when you see it for yourself, it really does stay with you and makes you want to help keep those smiles on the faces of our disabled drivers because this is truly a life changing experience for them.”