A HARTFORD travel firm is helping to rev up fund raising for a charity which provides motor sport experiences for people with disabilities.
The Perfect Getaway – a Hartford-based travel company which creates tailor-made breaks of a lifetime for its customers – has joined forces with Speed of Sight, a cause set up by multiple blind land speed record breaker, Mike Newman with the help of his friend John Galloway.
The company, run by husband and wife team Trevor and Caroline Vanzie, have set up a spin-off website for Speed of Sight which offers competitively-priced holidays with a personal touch, meaning they can cater for all needs and take the worry out of travelling by planning every element of a holiday.
A percentage of the commission they earn is donated to Speed of Sight which allows many of the people it helps get behind the wheel and experience the thrill of racing a car for the first time.
Caroline said: “It was through a business networking session that Trevor got talking to John Galloway from Speed of Sight and through John, he met the seven times world record holder and founder, Mike Newman.
“After a lot of conversations and coming to learn about their ethos, we developed a working relationship with the charity and set up a website www.speedofsightholidays.co.uk, where supporters can book competitively-priced breaks and benefit from our personal complimentary service making sure arrangements are in place to cater for their needs.
“We surrender a percentage of our commission back to the charity, which is great because it’s such a worthy cause as it allows people to do things they never thought possible.”
One of those who was on hand to thank Trevor and Caroline for their support is self-confessed adrenaline junkie, Hannah Shelmerdine, who has cerebral palsy and is visually impaired. The 31-year-old has now hit the racing circuit five times with Speed of Sight and said taking part in track days gives her the opportunity to explore what she can do.
Hannah, who goes sailing every week and has also tried rock climbing, abseiling, zip wiring and canoeing, said: “My two younger sisters both own cars and I always felt a bit left out because I’m a full time wheelchair user.
“My carers are always trying to get me to experience different things, so for my 30th birthday, they organised for me to have a track day with Speed of Sight and I haven’t looked back since.
“The first time I got behind the wheel was scary but after I’d done it once, there was no stopping me.
“I’ve never come across a charity like it before and even though my needs are complex, they were able to accommodate me and suddenly, so many barriers were broken down for the first time in my life.
“I’m now a bit of an adrenaline junkie and have done track days about five times, I’ve even done the off-road experience.
“I don’t tend to have any lunch before I go because it is so fast and the whole experience is so thrilling.
“It just shows that anything is possible and it’s great for a charity to offer such an opportunity for people, no matter what their disability.
“It makes you realise what you can do.”
Hannah added: “It’s fantastic how The Perfect Getaway is supporting Speed of Sight through the new website.
“Every donation makes a big difference and as a volunteer and a user of the charity, I know how much it means to people with disabilities to have their dreams turned into reality so I can’t thank The Perfect Getaway enough.”
John Galloway who co-founded Speed of Sight said: “Our aim is to be inclusive and accessible for our supporters, no matter what their ability, so when we met with Trevor and Caroline we sat down and decided to work together to provide something that was a perfect fit for us both.
“The website provides an opportunity for our supporters to book a competitively-priced holiday but with the added benefit of having someone there to make sure any special arrangements can be put in place if needs be.
“It’s an exciting new venture that’s great for us because The Perfect Getaway makes a donation for every booking made.
“Plus it also means our supporters can have the stress taken out of their break by leaving all the organising to Trevor and Caroline.”
The Perfect Getaway was founded in February last year when the couple decided to pool their globe-trotting expertise by becoming part of the Not Just Travel franchise.
Their service is free to the customer with clients only paying for the things which are booked on their behalf such as hotels, flights and private transfers.
The couple expertly put together itineraries and can plan every element of a break from arrival to departure. They make themselves available 24/7 for clients who might encounter any difficulties while they are abroad.
The separate website with Speed of Sight has been made possible by the unique Partners In Travel joint venture created by Not Just Travel which allows franchisees to create lasting charitable connections with worthy causes.
Caroline’s husband, Trevor, said: “We are delighted to support Speed of Sight and the amazing work they do.
“Offering such a sense of empowerment to someone who’s always been told they can’t is not something every charity can give.”
To book a tailor-made getaway or for more information, visit
www.speedofsightholidays.co.uk or www.theperfectgetaway.com