BRAIN trauma survivors will benefit from a new friendship with a car club which shares their "love of life".

Abingdon-based MG Car Club has chosen brain injury support charity Headway Oxfordshire as its charity partner for one of the world's largest car celebrations, this year's MGLive! car show at Silverstone, highlighting the risk of head injury in motor sports.

The Kennington-based charity supports people with head injuries through its rehabilitation centre, offering free services for both patients and carers.

The charity's chief executive officer Jamie Miller said he was "thrilled" about the union which could raise thousands of pounds.

He said: "It is local community support such as this that allows us to continue to help individuals in their recovery, helping them, their families and carers to adjust to a changed life after injury.

"MG were a local company and the cars were built just down the road: for a local charity to be supported by an organisation with their history and breadth across the world is huge for us, we are really happy."

Mr Miller said that while he acknowledged motor sports could be inherently dangerous and cause head injuries, people needed to take risks to live their lives.

He said: "When we take risks we push our experience and understanding, developing into better human beings.

"This commitment and love of life is one we share with MG."

Thousands of MG owners and enthusiasts from across the globe will descend on Silverstone on June 4 and 5, for MGLive! which features classic car shows and entertainment.

Profits from this year's event programmes will go to Headway and an auction attended by presidents of international clubs will raise extra funds.

The car club will also host charity events in support of Headway throughout the year, and Mr Miller said he hoped to continue the relationship beyond that.

Car club president John Day said: "I have experience with the charity myself as a friend's wife had a serious car accident and Headway was very helpful. There is synergy between motor sport and head injury - sadly despite all preparation, people bang their heads, so this partnership makes sense.

"We love the fact it's in Oxford as we are only based in Abingdon which is the home of MG. There's a natural partnership waiting to take place."

Club member Richard Martin brought his powder blue MGB car to show the service users at Headway, in Bagley Wood Road.

The 69-year-old said: "I am an Abingdon person and the more we can do locally the happier I am. I have had conversations with people at Headway that had MGs in the past, people whose parents worked in the car factory."

The MGLive! event was previously supported cancer charity Macmillan.

The car club's base, in Cemetery Road in Abingdon, is just yards from where the MG Abingdon factory stood from 1929 until its closure in 1980.