On Tuesday 20 August 2024 Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ Motorsport Charity hosted a Forces’ Families Track Day at Croft Circuit, a former WW2 bomber airfield near Dalton on Tees, North Yorks, upwards of 300 persons visiting on the day.

Mission Motorsport offers members of the Armed Forces Community, including serving personnel, veterans, their families and the military bereaved in the North-East, the opportunity to enjoy a day of recovery sport using various track cars, race cars and supercars providing driving experiences for adults and children 10yrs and older.

The Freemasons of YNER were pleased to be associated with the charity and on application invited to provide their Provincial gazebo where members supplied documentary and verbal information on freemasonry matters to their visitors. There were also a wide range of other service charities and organisations on show in support of the Armed Forces community.

Unfortunately the day was extremely windy with some rain which somewhat curtailed visitors and our planned masonic activities, the gazebo being in danger of take-off, quite apt for a former airfield with booklets having a life of their own and even fold away chairs being blown about. It was later established that airfields have always been built in ‘high wind’ areas to facilitate easier safe take off and landings, especially during the 2nd war when carrying a hazardous payload of thousands of pounds of bombing ordnance.

Our thanks to Mission Motorsports Community Manager Laura Westrope and Maj Pat Ralph for their help and guidance on the day.

Our representatives were Trevor Collinson, Steve Horner, Ian Bailey, David Oakes, Chris Hall and Ian Moore. Planning support was provided by Maj Mick Lynch and Tony Randall, Membership PSG, whilst photographs were taken by John Rees with APGM Martin Eggermont thanking all for their interest and support on a truly inclement weather day.