Kyle Burns, a property officer for NTW Solutions, will be taking part in a 24-hour karting challenge to raise money for charity.
The British 24 Hour is one of the UK’s top endurance karting events. Held at Teesside Autodrome, teams from across the UK and Europe take part in the high-octane event.
The event takes place on 9th– 10th August and sees teams driving in excess of 70mph on the UK’s longest kart circuit at 2.5km.
“It’s really demanding and it can be chaotic,” Kyle said. “It’s physically challenging and you’ve got to keep your head screwed on. You don’t get much sleep over the 24 hours.”
Kyle will be joined by a team of five others, including his dad.
The group are raising money for Andy’s Man Club, a men’s suicide prevention charity which offers free support groups across the UK.
“We always try to fundraise for a charity that means something to us or something that’s happened in our lives,” Kyle explained.
“Our team members’ dad passed away after struggling with his mental health, so Andy’s Man Club felt like a fitting choice.”
The money raised will help keep support groups going, reduce stigma around men’s mental health and encourage men to talk.
The team have already raised £3,655, surpassing their fundraising target of £2,025.
Kyle and his dad have helped raise nearly £20,000 over the last five 24-hour races. He says this couldn’t have been done without the generosity of donors and his NHS colleagues.
Kyle has worked for NTW Solutions for nearly 10 years, starting as an apprentice electrician.
Having worked in mental health settings his whole career, men’s mental health is something he wants to raise more awareness of.
It was an injury that led Kyle to karting.
“Four years ago, I dislocated my knee playing football. I had two surgeries on it and was told I wouldn’t be able to play football again.
“Football was my passion and I had a tough time trying to get my head around it.”
Kyle decided to throw himself into karting, something he says he’d neglected because of football.
“I went out on my first kart with my dad when I was about seven but stopped when football took over. I thought I could take the positives from my injury and put my time and effort into something else.”
Kyle has now been racing for around three years.
“Through karting, I’ve met a lot of like-minded people with their own struggles. We’ve built a community where we can talk to each other about how we feel.”
To sponsor the team, go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/amcracingbritish24hr?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015
NTW Solutions is a subsidiary company for Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), a leading provider of mental health and disability services.
You can follow the journey on Facebook and LinkedIn @AMCRACING