Generous Thrapston Friends group raises funds to grant Thomas' wish to attend the British Grand Prix
Thomas’ wish of attending the British Grand Prix was fulfilled by a handful of charitable people after a fundraising event in December got them across the line.
Thomas Meads, an avid Formula 1 fan from Isham, was at the centre of the motorsport world last Sunday after locals Tracey Gray, alongside David Timlin, Claire Washington and Thomas’ mum Jacqueline Meads rallied together to give Thomas the ‘nice surprise’ of a three-day pass to the event.
Thomas’ journey to Silverstone was six-months in the making, as a fundraising ‘power disco’ party and raffle took place on December 9 at the Plaza community centre in Thrapston.
Soon after, he was told that he’d got a ticket to the hottest race of the summer, and made the trip last weekend.
Tracey said: “Seeing Thomas at Silverstone brought a tear to your eye. It was a big success, and it was a long wait for him.
"It was a massive thing, but the messages of support just make it all worthwhile.”
The charitable group of people have raised funds for local organisations in years past, and this time was Thomas’ turn to have his dream come true.
He sat at Luffield corner during the race, and also received Red Bull clothing and other gifts from the team currently leading the constructor’s championship.
Thomas was in attendance to witness Sir Lewis Hamilton snag his first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabia Grand prix, and quite possibly his last with the team based in Brackley, Northamptonshire before he heads to Ferrari for the 2025 season.
Thomas, a Red Bull fan, saw his team miss out on the victory as championship leader Max Verstappen finished a valiant second place. Teammate Sergio Perez ended the weekend in a disappointing 17th.
Tracey’s partner, David Timlin, added: “We just want to thank everyone that supports us every year.
“It was a mad thing to get into place, but we have had nice people willing to donate, we had a lot of people who didn’t hesitate."
Thomas’ mum, Jacqueline, also wished to give praise to his support worker, Coral Brook, whom she called ‘amazing.’
When we visited Thomas and the people who granted his wish, he was still brimming with excitement, and did not write off the possibility of taking a role as a commentator, or even as one of Red Bull’s drivers, saving the Milton Keynes-based team’s title defense in the process.