Soldiers set to get behind the wheel for army charities

Two serving army officers are to get behind the wheel and compete in the Britcar 24-hour race to promote British armed forces’ charities.

Major James Cameron and Brigadier Mike Hickson will take turns driving the Mazda MX-5 with Will Browning, a former Royal Signals sergeant, and the television presenter and racer Tony Jardine during tomorrow’s endurance race at Silverstone.

Major Cameron, 38, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, returned from Afghanistan this year and has championed forces’ charities, raising money for injured comrades.

The drivers – who are backed up by a team of soldiers who were injured recently in Afghanistan – are racing for The Not Forgotten Association, Help for Heroes, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, Forces Children’s Trust and Scotty’s Little Soldiers, which was set up by army widow Nikki Scott to help the children of dead soldiers.

Major Cameron, who is from Harrogate, said: “I visited the Help for Heroes base in Tidworth and the newspaper cuttings from all the coverage was like entering a papier mache room, but the only wheels were on wheelchairs.

“We desperately wanted to do something and being petrol heads decided on motorsports so went to Mazda and they’ve been phenomenally helpful.

“Some of the guys in the team have uncertain futures and their involvement in this shows them some of the other things they can do.”