With Christmas toy runs and charity rides approaching, Phoenix Motorcycle Training announces sponsorship of Unity Support Riders to help keep UK charity events safe and bring joy to thousands.

Phoenix Motorcycle Training has long roots in charity events, with over a decade of its own toy runs to support Rutherford School, an independent specialist day school for students aged 19–25 with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).

This year, the UK’s largest and highest rated motorcycle training provider has gone even further with its charitable work, and announced a sponsorship deal with Unity Support Riders (USR), the volunteer motorcycle group that has marshalled and supported charity rides since 2005.

Phoenix has supplied the group with new uniform jackets and opened its training facilities to USR members for their ongoing rider skills training, as well as developing new training programs for the riders, specific to the role of on road motorcycle marshalling

USR's 65 active riders are all volunteers who give their time for free. Everyone is a qualified advanced rider and has completed First Bike On Scene (FBOS) medical and incident training, refreshed regularly alongside ongoing rider training.

That commitment carries real costs. The group estimates it spends around £250 to train and equip each new rider, before ongoing training, communications kit and replacement PPE. Phoenix's support goes straight at those costs:

• Uniform jackets – 60 new jackets in USR livery, giving marshals a consistent, high-visibility presence at events.
• Training facilities – access to Phoenix's training sites for USR's skills refreshers and new-member training, plus online training resources, hosted on the Phoenix Learner Management System (LMS)

Since 2005 USR has supported more than 250 rides for 23 charities, from small local runs to the Lee Rigby Memorial Ride, the Ring of Red and the Ride of Respect, which peaked at 22,510 bikes. Its riders also support cycling events across the South, including Basingstoke's Big Wheel, the London to Canterbury Challenge and KSS's 100/100.

Phoenix Motorcycle Training and USR will be working together on the roads too. The annual Phoenix Toy Run will be taking place again this December, supported by the newly kitted and trained USR riders.

Mark Jaffe, owner of Phoenix Motorcycle Training, said: "Unity Support Riders do exactly what we train people to do – ride with skill, read the road ahead and look after everyone around them. They give their time for nothing, so it's right that the riding community gives something back. Kitting them out properly and giving them a place to keep their skills sharp is the least we can do."

Chris Pine, Chairman of Unity Support Riders, said: "As a volunteer charity, we rely on donations to make sure the charities we support get the very best support on the day. Phoenix's sponsorship gives our riders professional training and new uniforms, which means a stronger, more visible presence at every event we attend. We're hugely grateful for their backing."