EXCELR8 GIVES SUPPORT TO YOUTH TALK CHARITY FOR 2025
EXCELR8 will use its programme in the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship to help raise awareness of Youth Talk, a charity that provides F2F counselling support to young people in St Albans and the surrounding area.
Since its foundation in 1997, Youth Talk has helped thousands of youngsters aged between 13 and 25 to gain access to free, confidential counselling – providing much needed help and support to deal with any challenges they may face.
Youth Talk’s mission is to ensure that every young person has access to the best possible mental health support, offering both individual counselling sessions and group therapy as well as special ‘Next Step’ support groups to help those who may be preparing for a new chapter in their lives.
In all the years of its existence, Youth Talk has remained unique in its support, providing a whole year of counselling where required. No other service in the country provides this for free.
As is the case with similar charities around the country, Youth Talk has seen a noticeable rise in demand for its services in recent years, resulting in the implementation of a five year plan designed to help it double the service – ensuring it is able to support the ever-increasing demand from young people in the coming years.
With a need to generate additional income to continue its valued work, Youth Talk will benefit from a new tie-up with EXCELR8, which developed after Team Owner Justina Williams was invited to appear at a special networking business breakfast being run by the charity.
Having shared her story and been inspired by the work that the charity carries out, Justina was invited to become a Youth Talk ambassador – making her the second figure from the sporting world to take up such a role after Olympic athlete Phoebe Gill.
To help raise awareness of Youth Talk and the work it carries out, the charity has been invited to provide special ‘grid ambassadors’ who will attend most of the events during the upcoming season, including the opening rounds of the campaign at Donington Park.
These ambassadors – young people who have either used Youth Talk and its services, or have become members of its Youth Panel – will be present in the BTCC paddock wearing special team-wear that includes a QR code that fans in attendance will be able to scan in order to gain more information about the charity.
They will also take their place on the grid ahead of the three BTCC races alongside the EXCELR8 cars, which are running this season under the Team VERTU banner.
Justina Williams, EXCELR8 Team Owner, said:
“The work that Youth Talk carries out is vitally important when it comes to helping young people, and we are pleased to be putting our support behind the charity as we go into 2025. On a personal level, I had a difficult time when I was younger so to be able to share my story with others and help the charity is something I’m delighted to be able to do.
“We look forward to welcoming our grid ambassadors to Donington Park for the opening round and would urge any BTCC fans who spot them in the paddock to scan the QR codes on their shirts to gain further information on what they can do to help.”
Jim Lewis, Youth Talk Partnerships & Fundraising Manager, said:
“We were put in touch with Justina through Simon Bates from S2M Profits, who has been involved with the team through his support of Tom Ingram, and invited her along to one of our business breakfasts.
“Hearing her share her own story was truly inspiring and she was keen to do what she could to help us raise our profile despite the fact that her role running the team means her time is very limited.
“Being invited to attend BTCC events will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to share our message, which is vitally important to a charity such as ours as we look to increase the support we can offer to the young people who approach us needing our assistance.”
