IRTA boss Mike Trimby has confirmed the traditional Day of Champions charity bash at MotoGP Silverstone will go ahead despite the imminent closure of Riders for Health UK.

Riders for Health was the official charity of Dorna, IRTA and the FIM and has, over more than twenty years, raised more than €3.5 million from the MotoGP community to provide two wheel based medical supply programmes in Africa. The closing of RFH in the UK will not affect these hugely successful, life saving programmes that reach 25 million people in seven countries utilising 2,000 motorcycles.

“What we can now announce is that a new charity has been formed to assume the fund raising activities for the African programmes. Andrea and Barry Coleman, the original founders of RFH, have agreed to head up this new charity which will have the full support of Dorna, IRTA and the FIM as well as the involvement of the original co-founder, Randy Mamola,” said a statement.

“The first major event of the new charity will take place on Thursday 1st. of September at Silverstone and will be in a similar format to the old Day of Champions with paddock access, stage activities and autograph calls, culminating in an auction of rider and team memorabilia.”