BRANDS HATCH BRITISH SUPERBIKES th
13 APRIL 2018
JUNIOR PRESS TEAM REPORT
SUPERBIKE TEAMS WORK AS A FAMILY
To find out more, please contact 4Roles4Goals: 4Roles4Goals@gmail.com
JUNIOR PRESS TEAM REPORTS
The Junior Press Team is made up of a group of young people, aged 11-15 and with the help of 4Roles4Goals, they are all able to gain valuable work experience. With work experience opportunities organised by 4Roles4Goals, the Junior Press Team is a given the chance to learn about all the different careers within different industries, giving them ideas for their own futures.
Whilst having lots of fun and making new friends, the Junior Press Team meet and interview different people from all levels of employment so they gain valuable knowledge and self-confidence to prepare them for their own futures in the workplace!
Theo’s Report On Friday the 13th of April 2018, 4Roles4Goals held an event, kindly sponsored by Diligence for young people around the age of 11-15 to visit the Brands Hatch Superbikes event. The idea was for us to interview some of the superbike racers. As a collective, I personally thought that there were only about seven jobs in this industry, but after about two hours of interviews, I realised that there are hundreds of jobs! I realised that a chef is one of the most important parts of the team, as they need to make sure the team are well fed and watered, a bit like a parent! Each team has their own individual chef. I also found out that there is one designer for each league and he/ she travels the world with their team. I just thought that they were just paid to be there and stayed for each day that they’re paid for. I would like to be a fashion designer and the BMW Hospitality Suite advised me to speak to the Clinton Enterprise clothing stall. When we spoke with them, the owner was really kind and spent time with me talking about all of
”“I enjoyed seeing the bikes put together”
the labels they represent. Brands such as Honda, BMW, Kawasaki and Monster. Coming up with a design for clothing and accessories, using the logo, but making sure they are in the correct place and at the correct height, length and width; so much goes into it! For example, the logo or brand ‘MONSTER’ cannot be used on any merchandise for young people under the age of sixteen. Trademarks have to be used with permission and designers often have to pay to use the logo even though it is for the brand itself. They will hopefully make money out of the goods, in this case the clothing that they sell. I really liked a BMW jacket and was able to purchase one as a treat and memento of my day. The best part for me was going around and seeing all the bikes being put together. I had a great time and I would like to thank everyone that was involved.
Victoria & Tegan’s Reports Today at Brands Hatch Race Circuit interviewed Pete Extance, the owner of the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team. We asked him lots of questions, one of which was “did you ever think that when you were younger you would grow up to own a Race Team?” he said “no, when I first left school I trained to be a chef”. However, both his grandfather and father were involved in the motorcycle industry and he ended up owning a motorcycle shop in Bournemouth. From that shop, all the original bikes for the Kawasaki team are supplied and for each race he flies in an engineer and a mechanic. His two riders are Leon Haslam and Luke Mossey, both of whom are more than capable of winning the British Super Bike championships this year!
‘keep your career options open’
We also interviewd Zoe Garnham-Archer, who is the Healthcare Advisor at ScreenCancer UK, which was very interesting.
What I did find interesting is that at a young age you don’t always know what you want to do for a living. You can train for a career in something you have a passion for at the time, but end up doing something totally different, which is a million miles away from what you originally trained to do and end up enjoying it even more! Tegan said “It was a marvellous day and I made a new friend; another member of the Junior Press Team called Victoria and we became really close. Meeting Rob McNearly was really interesting and he told us that he started riding motorbikes when he was 7 years old! He said that the first time he got on a bike it took him a long time to get off!”
Kieran’s Report
“Many thanks for the great experience!”
At first, I was filled with nervous anticipation because I only knew one person who was attending and I was unsure what we were going to be doing whilst at Brands Hatch. Almost immediately I felt at ease, after being introduced to everybody that was present. The day began by making our way to the guest suite. We entered into a room full of eager motorsport enthusiasts, who were all watching the motorbikes racing around the track.
“It was an experience that will be valuable to my future.“
“I have been enlighted about the vast career opportunities!.........�
Afterwards, we travelled to where the riders and their crew were accommodated for the weekend. Whilst there, we were able to see many motorbikes being prepared for their race, we even managed to meet Rob McNealy, a professional racer and he was generous enough to spend some time answering our questions. A swift walk later and we had made it into the pits. Bikes of all kinds passed us slowly as we lined up along the narrow road facing the track. We were able to take many pictures, as all that stood between us and the racing was a fence. Our next visit was with the hospitality services of Kawasaki and Tyco BMW where we were informed about the demands that come along with running a hospitality service at a racing event.
After the educational conversations, we made our way back to the suite where we met Zoe Garnham-Archer of ScreenCancer. She informed us of the dangers of ultra violet rays from the sun. We were given a wristband which changes colour when we need to apply sun cream in order to protect our skin. It was very factual and extremely necessary in order to highlight the dangers of sunburn. On reflection of my day out, I have been enlightened into the vast career opportunities that are available in just one environment! Many thanks for the great experience!
Max’s Report 4Roles4Goals invited us to Brands Hatch for an exciting day watching motorbike racing. The aim of the day was to explore the roles and careers in the motorsport industry, ranging from the chefs in trailers cooking for sponsors to the riders themselves. We started the day by walking around the paddocks, looking and observing the teams preparing their bikes for the races. It was amazing to see the bikes without all their fairings and down to the bare engine. We took notice of all the different jobs there were within the paddock. These jobs included, mechanics, electric engineers, engine management, doctors, riders and many more. Afterwards, we walked around and underneath the track to the back of the pit lanes. Behind the pit lanes, we were constantly watching out for mopeds whizzing around carrying anything from engines to tyres in their trailers. We spoke to one young rider who was on his way to his team. When asked when he started riding, he replied “a lot of riders had been riding since they were 3-4 years old!
We have been born and bred around bikes.” It was almost crazy to think that these 16 year olds are on 300cc racing machines built for the track and that I am the same age as them. I can only dream of ever riding a bike like that! At the paddocks we begun talking to an electrical engineer for BMW by the nickname of ‘brake pad’. He began telling us of how they build their 200bhp+ bikes and what he does. He was an electrical engineer for all the BMW race bikes. This meant that he would oversee programming the ECU’s (Electrical Control Panels) inside the bikes and adjusting them for each individual rider, bike and track. It was amazing to hear how these people rose from running tyres around for teams in their teenage years to now, being the ‘top man’ to see if your bike’s computer breaks! These kinds of stories inspire kids to think about every work experience that is offered. You should grasp the opportunity for the experience it will offer you.
“I can only dream of riding a bike like that!.........”
As a motorbike enthusiast, I am personally very interested in how they all came to where they are now as a hope of inspiration to find work at motorbike garages to help me with the aspiration to work within the motorbike community as a career. Later, the young people made their way to the BMW hospitality stand where we spoke to one of the BMW hospitality mangers who organises the construction of the stand and also the waiters for when the guests and sponsors come for their lunch. We learned about the many jobs in the catering industry. We were also introduced to a graphics designer for BMW, who, when asked what he wanted to be
when he was 15, replied “when I was 15, the thought of doing something like this never passed
my mind. I was always eager to draw, and sketch and fate led me to the job I am at today”. I think the kids learned a great deal from people talking about their past careers and also about when they were the same age as them. It means that they can connect with the kids at a level in which they take in what they are being told and can take this home and use the advice to their advantage. After speaking to the head of hospitality for Kawasaki Bournemouth, we spoke about how their units are set up, rented, the time it takes and the cost. Asked by one of our young people “how much do you think it costs to set up for a season?” replied, “on a normal season we would be looking at around
£1million per season”! This figure rather shocked the kids, as it was such a high number!
Aaron’s Report I was delighted to have been offered such an amazing opportunity to join 4Roles4Goals at the British Superbike Championships at Brands Hatch and I was excited to be joining the Junior Press Team for the day. Upon arrival, we were greeted by 4Roles4Goals and introduced to the rest of the team. I couldn’t wait to start exploring! We began by taking a look around the paddock area. There were many different motorbikes and several crew members. I learned that there’s more to Motorbike racing than just the vehicle and a rider! It’s imperative to have a crew of up to 12 people to ensure smooth running and the crew can consist of an engineer, designer, mechanic and even a chef and catering team! We then went to our viewing room, or as I liked to think of it, ‘our VIP box’, to watch the riders warm up. I couldn’t believe how fast the bikes were, the highest speed one bike reached was 149mph, which is unbelievable and the sound of all the engines was deafening!
“I had the most enjoyable day”
What happened next was beyond belief, I mean how many 10 year olds get the opportunity to take a look around the circuit and pit areas of a Superbike race track? I’m sure it’s not many, but I was one of the lucky ones to be part of this amazing experience! After lunch, my day got even better. We met a 6-time title winner and we were shown a tyre case, which is used to heat up the bikes’ tyres to around 90 degrees. Tyres that have not been heated to the correct operating temperature will not give the level of grip needed to go full tilt when going around a corner, so it’s vital that this task is carried out, otherwise it could be extremely dangerous. I even had the pleasure of sitting on one of the motorbikes. Thank you Diligence, 4Roles4Goals and Dartford District Schools FA for giving me such a memorable and valuable experience!
Sophie & Harvey’s Report During our adventure to Brands Hatch, we looked at the different careers in motorcycle racing. We visited the pit lane and had an amazing experience watching motorbikes preparing to race. We interviewed riders in their transporter lorries and we found out that in Spain they start riding at a very young age! We went to the Tyco BMW Hospitality Suite and we interviewed the Catering Manager, who told us how long it took to set up the Hospitality Suite, which they had to put up the day before. The chef told us that he had to feed a lot of people during the weekend. We met and spoke to Peter Extance, Manager of the Bournemouth Kawasaki team. He told us that all the bikes are standard road bikes and then they tune them especially for racing. He said that there are a lot of jobs involved in motorcycling other than racing.
“an amazing and exciting time”
We were able to watch some racing and we saw a crash! The bikes go very fast and reach a speed of 150mph on the straights! The rider who crashed was taken away to the medical center to be checked over and he was ok after treatment, even though he had to be taken away by a stretcher because he couldn’t get up! Harvey said: “When I revisited with my family on Sunday, we had another great day and it was full of action again from start to finish! My favourite part was when Shane Byrne, for Ducati went into first place on the 28th lap and he managed to hang on in the lead for 2 laps.” We had an amazing and exciting time and learned a lot during the day. We would like to thank 4Roles4Goals and all the people who took time to speak to us.
A VAST ARRAY OF CAREERS OPPORTUNITIES... As we sat in the hospitality box at Brands Hatch, we looked at the variety of careers which could be seen looking around the circuit. From ambulances to mechanicanics, technicians and tool-hire companies... to name but a few.
Our tours were at the same speed as some of the riders on the track... so we didn’t dive deep enough to find out the details of the various careers. However, it did give the young people some insight and make them aware how they could apply their own skills and grades to work in one of the careers.
Many of the young people arrived thinking it was purely riders and mechanics and they were so surprised to see media, film crews, photographers, journalists, caterers and logistics teams.
E
We planned our day and we were kindly invited into the race teams’ What can you get out of.... hospitality suites to speak directly to various employees and owners.
ON
...IN THE PADDOCK!
MCNEALY BROWN RACING Kent business, McNealy Brown Ltd, based in Sittingbourne were amazing! They welcomed the Junior Press Team and it was wonderful that ‘Dave the Brake Pad’ and rider Rob McNealy gave so much time to the Young People.
DRAPER RACING On preparation Friday, walking though the paddock, we were intrigued by the different machines on show at draperRACING – showing their inclusion in the Superstook, Supersport and Sidecar Championship racing events. We were lucky enough to meet Bill who took pride in telling us about the family feel of the Race Team – whereby the whole team are passionate about the way the Team works with the sponsoring companies linked to owner Paul Draper and the camaraderie which comes from being volunteers of the Race Team! We heard how the Team Branding is derived from the businesses connected with owner, Paul Draper, and the fact that chicken farms have been beneficiaries of many products and services from these companies!
As well as an insight into the preparation of the bike, we also heard that Dave was responsible for the BMW bikes at the event, so if other bikes had any problems, they would bring them to him and he would look at repairs, maintenance or replacement of parts! Further confirmation of the ‘family feel’ for the McNealy Brown Team was the fact that the owner of the Team was Vaughan McNealy, dad of rider – Rob McNealy. Rob was very interesting, as he answered questions and demonstrated how his £2k race suit offered protection, with its in-built air bags and connecting to the neck and helmet. We also saw the ‘sliders’ for the knees – both worn from previous practice and unused – this really had a wow effect for the audience! They really did get that close to the track!
We would like to thank Diligence (PM) Services Ltd for their sponsorship of the #4Roles4Goals Junior Press Team for the British SuperBikes, Round 2 at Brands Hatch.
4Roles4Goals and through this initiative in our business, we are delighted that the scheme is now growing on its own and a separate entity.
Diligence are a well known Project Management Consultancy in Kent, working on a variety of infrastructure projects and bringing the business ethos into the community.
Our values within Diligence have always been for ‘People First’ and 4Roles4Goals has all partners at its heart! Ensuring Young People know the wealth of careers out there is key to them discovering what their inspirations are. If these can be converted into a new generation within the construction industry, then Diligence may get some great future Project Managers for future projects out there!
Many people know (or know of) Managing Director, Nicola Coppen, who is not only passionate about the Construction Industry, but who also thrives on connecting people and businesses. She was the Kent Women In Business ‘Women In Construction’ winner in 2017 and she was a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2016 too. With 2018 looking like a great year for regeneration, construction and communities, the small, but dedicated Project Management Consultancy is keen to be a part of such positive change, so if you have projects, get in touch with the Team!
We are happy to be involved with 4Roles4Goals and it was right to be the sponsor for the British Super Bikes as a celebration of the new company we part-created. Equally, experiencing the day with the Junior Press Team really showed how 4Roles4Goals helps Young People bridge the gap between education and the workplace, but also how the confidence of those individuals became stronger and more attuned to a work environment as the day went on.”
On sponsoring the Junior Press Team, they say: “Diligence is proud to be part of the foundations for Contact: www.diligence-pm-services.co.uk Tel: 01322 838004 email: TheTeam@diligence-pm-services.co.uk #4Roles4Goals
Diligence was formed in 2014, when our Managing Director moved out of full time employment into the world of contracting. Her experience with leading incumbent utility companies and across many industry sectors led to the first commission for Diligence at Thames Water & Mott MacDonald for the Tidal Thames Quality Improvement project, which was a continuation of work via UK Power Networks for installation of a new 33kV electricity supply.
All our Services are delivered with an attention to detail (diligence) by specialist Project Managers and Project Teams, who are not just committed to the work they do, but also provide a team member focused service delivery for the Customer and to Diligence (PM) Services Ltd. We have offices in Bexley, Dartford and Ashford to serve the south east of England & London.
Since then, Diligence have been involved in various projects of various time or cost durations, as a partner to larger consultancies and organisations for Infrastructure Projects. We are keen and eager to add to our project base and to our Project Management team. Sectors of experience include: Mechanical Engineering; Utilities (Power, Gas, Potable & Waste water), Infrastructure (Road, Rail, Highways), Nuclear (AWE Aldermaston), Retail and Software Training & Integration.
Motivating tomorrow’s adults today! Working in collaboration, we can develop young people to their full potential. #4roles4goals ties in community, education, careers and construction. Giving young people the tools to lead a project and empowering them to be in charge, builds their self worth and sense of value, enabling them to develop to their full potential, which is key to a stronger society. www.burning2learn.co.uk
A BIG THANK YOU to
all the race teams who took time to speak to us!
Max said “I would like to say a huge thank you to all the sponsoring parties that made that day possible and give us such an amazing opportunity and to all the hard working people that took time out of there day to speak to us!”
Make your family’s day and bring them along to the next race day!
Designed by Burning2Learn www.burning2learn.co.uk Written by: Junior Press Team
Harvey said: “When I got back from Brands Hatch, I told my family that I had a great time and then I managed to persuade them to take me and Sophie to the racing again on Sunday!”