A Driving Force for SSAFA * is a biennial charity event, raising funds for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity. It involves seventy people, in thirty-five vehicles, including participants and support vehicles, on an exhilarating 10-day driving adventure across the Iberian Peninsula and Gibraltar from 30 July to 9 August 2024, hoping to raise £120,000 for SSAFA.
The 10-day event visited Gibraltar on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August 2024 which was seen as the jewel in the crown of the 2024 A Driving Force for SSAFA event -they made quite a spectacle as they arrived. The A Driving Force Team worked closely with Commodore Tom Guy, Commander of British Forces, Gibraltar to put together ‘Torque the Rock’ which saw the first ever airport sprints in Gibraltar on Saturday!
The afternoon was an amazing success, raising lots of money for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity and many local residents of Gibraltar and the participants of A Driving Force for SSAFA enjoyed the thrill of the airport sprints.
On Sunday, there was a special remembrance service to remember those military personnel that have been lost at Trafalgar Cemetery for the event participants and 10-year-old participant Jack Cordery laid a wreath on behalf of A Driving Force (pictured).
There was also a special VIP dinner hosted by Commodore Tom Guy, Commander of British Forces, Gibraltar at the top of the rock on Sunday evening.
Two ex-serving members of HM Forces Benn Laidler MBE and Steve Shaw MA, FCILT, CMCIPD, Directors of A Driving Force, witnessed first-hand the hardship and devastation suffered by casualties of military conflict. They realised that these courageous men, women, and their families needed support to cope with the aftermath of such traumatic life changing injuries or loss. Since 2012, they have been fundraising through charity driving events, which have taken place across the UK and mainland Europe raising over three quarters of a million pounds for many charities supporting military personnel. The 2022 event managed to raise a staggering £173,000.
Partnering with SSAFA once again for the event in 2024, A Driving Force who are accredited Professional Fundraisers with The Fundraising Regulator, have pledged to raise a further £120,000 to support military personnel and their families. Whilst combat operations have now ceased, our country must deal with the aftermath of 20 years of operations in the Middle East. As we conduct this event, we pay tribute to the hundreds of people who made the ultimate sacrifice on operations. Just as importantly our fundraising is aimed at sustaining people and their families who suffered life changing injuries.#
Like the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, we never stop trying to serve the needs of our society…
Commodore Tom Guy, Commander of British Forces, Gibraltar said:
“British Forces Gibraltar was delighted to host the 35 supercars participating in the 2024 Driving Force for SSAFA ‘Torque the Rock’ this weekend. It was fantastic to be able to offer some unique experiences in Gibraltar, raising lots of money in aid of such a worthy cause. We wish them well on their return journey to the UK and look forward to supporting other such events in the future.”
Steve Shaw MA, FCILT, CMCIPD, Director of A Driving Force for SSAFA said:
“We could not wait to bring A Driving Force for SSAFA to Gibraltar, for the highlight of our 2024 fundraising event.
We have a big target of raising £120,000 for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, and by visiting Gibraltar and creating the event Torque the Rock, it provides us with a platform to improve awareness of all the fantastic work that SSAFA do and raise more money in our attempt to reach our goal.”
As we know, the nation is coming to terms with the unseen impact of sending 150,000 military personnel to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, 636 people sadly lost their lives. Regrettably, tens of thousands more were left with unseen injuries both mentally and physically, which they carry with them each and every day. We can probably never relieve them of the burden, but we can certainly help, bringing to bear our passion, enthusiasm and drive as ex-members of the Armed Forces.”
The Clements Prestige team at Clements Worldwide (a Gallagher company) are dedicated to finding solutions for their clients when others struggle to do so. They were immensely proud to have been able to support Torque Events and SSAFA by providing an insurance solution that allowed all those in attendance to experience the thrill of a never before held event at Gibraltar Airport. The A Driving Force team are extremely grateful for their assistance, as without it the event would not have been able to happen.
Neil Entwistle from Clements Prestige said:
“Watching our clients and others have the opportunity to go full throttle in a sprint along the taxiway of the airport was immensely exciting and memorable. We are so happy to have been able to help make this event a reality for Torque and help support SSAFA in their fundraising activities”.
To make a donation to A Driving Force for SSAFA 2024, please visit: https://ssafa.enthuse.com/cf/adrivingforceforssafa
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity
SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of practical, emotional, and financial support for the UK military’s serving personnel and veterans of the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force, and their families.
For 138 years, making them one of the UK’s longest serving military charities, SSAFA has shown their commitment to ensuring that our service men and women, veterans and their families get the best possible support when they need it.
The SSAFA family includes the Military Wives Choirs, both an independent charity and a subsidiary of SSAFA, which supports women across the military community. SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person – any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us.
Jonathan Sandall, Director of Fundraising for SSAFA, says:
“Over the last decade, Steve and Benn have raised a phenomenal amount of money for SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity through their charity driving events, whilst also remembering the brave servicemen and servicewomen who made the ultimate sacrifice whilst on operations in the Middle East.”
*A Driving Force is a subsidiary of Torque Events Ltd.
For more information, contact the Team on Tel: +44 203 092 9624 or Email: info@adrivingforce.co.uk
