Glamorous festival will support kidsmost in need

Lord March, the owner of the West Sussex estate where the world-famous spectacle is held, could have chosen any number of fashionable charities to support through the generosity of next summer’s festival-goers.

But, after a plea from Carole Damper, The Roberts Centre will be the Festival of Speed’s charity partner in 2017.

Anyone who reads The News will know how close The Roberts Centre, in Landport, Portsmouth, is to the heart of this newspaper.

We have supported it as much as we possibly can over the years because the work chief executive Carole and her staff do to help the most vulnerable families in our communities is immeasurable.

They go above and beyond to help the hundreds of children affected by homelessness and family breakdowns in the city.

Next year the charity turns 30 and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity from Goodwood could not come at a better time.

Carole has ambitious plans to create a large, single building to house the services currently carried out over two sites in Crasswell Street.

A few pounds in collection buckets from petrolheads at next summer’s glamorous festival will be small change to them.

And very few of those there to catch a glimpse of Formula One machines and supercars will ever have heard of the charity.

But the difference their cash will make to the most vulnerable families just down the A27 in Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant will be enormous.

It will also be a priceless chance to raise awareness.

Lord March, we applaud you for choosing The Roberts Centre and offering it such an amazing opportunity.