2019 was a whirlwind year for Re:Fuel. It went from paper to reality quicker than a Litchfield GTR on slicks and we have no plans on slowing down. This coming year will bring a host of new features, events and activities to the Re:Fuel cars and coffee formula; improving it for our ever-increasing fan base, whilst staying true to what started and grew Re:Fuel into what we’ve all quickly come to know and love.
2020 will be our first full year of Re:Fuelidge (new word alert!) and we plan on making the most of every season. Our monthly Open Day dates for 2020 can be found by clicking here, however they are fairly easy to remember: the 3rd Sunday of each month.
We’ll also be introducing monthly Drive-Outs that will be open to our community. These will be trips designed to take us out and about across some of the finest and most interesting roads the region and the UK has to offer; visiting photogenic destinations, interesting venues and doing what our machines are designed to do: Drive. More info on these Drive-Outs will be published in the coming weeks so keep an eye out (or just sign up to our mailing list at the bottom of this page and we’ll keep you updated).
We also plan in 2020 to build on the Re:Fuel Symposium; our regular, interesting and engaging, automotive-themed talks and demos. In 2019, we had a detailing demo from Dave Knight of Knight Detailing, an inspiring talk by David Johnson of Formula Art, a fascinating account from Michael Arnold of the Southwest Lotus Centre and his James Hunt Lotus 59, a talk on automotive investment from Joe of Lucky’s Supercars, and a talk on grassroots motorsport from Ben “Twinky Racer” Bonfield.
Another addition this year is the Re:Fuel Community Board. Everything we do at Re:Fuel centres around our audience (that’s you!). So we thought, who better to help us improve Re:Fuel for the community than the community itself. We will soon be accepting applications for places on the Re:Fuel Community Board, where successful applicants will work with the Re:Fuel team to help shape our cars and coffee style Open Days and improve what we can offer. It will be your chance to share opinions of Re:Fuel, be representatives of the community and have your say on how you think we can make Re:Fuel even better. Keep your eyes on our website and social media for news on when applications open and where to apply.
Last but by no means least, we have something planned for our 1st Edition Card Holders. You may remember, back in September, we gave out 1st Edition cards on the gate, which was designed to identify our early supporters and reward them further down the road. Well, we’re happy to announce that road has now come into view, and we are in the midst of building the 1st Edition Rewards Program. We’ll be partnering with businesses, cafes, attractions and service providers to put together a comprehensive rewards package for the holders of these cards. Think of it as our way of saying thank you, to all 500 of you who have these cards, for the love and support you’ve shown Re:Fuel since its inception. The program will start taking shape in the coming months, so if you’re interested in your business being a part of this opportunity please do get in touch with George on george@re-fuel.co.uk.
Right, that’s the present out of the way, now let’s look towards our future!
What about the future?
For those of you who have been looking around our website or following our journey in 2019, you’ll know that beyond 2020 our grand vision is to have a dedicated Re:Fuel venue that’s open for “cars and coffee”, amongst other things, every weekend. We started by looking at suitable potential buildings – but soon came to the realisation that our best bet would be to build rather than buy. Start with a clean slate which we can customise to our own design which will eventually become an automotive narnia that’s right on your doorstep.
But, let’s be real, this is going to take time and money. So, with that in mind, for the time being we will be staying at the spacious Mansell Raceway and saving our pennies to go towards building this fabled land. But as with everything, success is always better shared – so let us know if you are interested in being involved in this next big step, and sharing in our success.
2019 has been a fantastic year for Re:Fuel. We can’t wait to make it bigger and better in 2020, and for you all to join us on the journey.
