Nitro Neo is Barnardo’s Pride of Britain

The UK’s largest children’s charity, Barnardos, nominated schoolboy Neo McCartney for a Pride of Britain Award because staff are so moved by the compassion he shows others and impressed by all he has achieved by the tender age of nine.  The Pride of Britain Awards celebrate the achievements of truly remarkable people who make our world a better place and Neo’s father, Shaun McCartney commented “Although Neo wasn’t a finalist this year; it is an accomplishment in itself for Barnardo’s to believe he is worthy.”

Devika Chowdhury from Barnardo’s, said: “Neo is an inspirational young man who goes above and beyond to raise money for those who are less fortunate than himself.  We are very grateful for all the fundraising Neo does for Barnardo’s.”

The motocross racing champion, better known as Nitro Neo said “ My charity work started when I saw a news story about children who had to spend Christmas in hospital.  I thought they would be sad not having any presents to open on Christmas day because Santa delivered them to their homes, so I asked my dad if I could take some of my toys in to hospital for them to play with.”  Shaun added “I posted what Neo was doing on his social media and fans replied wanting to add to his donation, we made it easy for anybody to get involved by letting fans know if everybody donated a little, it would amount to a lot when Neo gathered all the gifts together; then off we went driving around gathering toys”.

The sporting celebrity has continued this charity work ever since and achieved his mission of spreading smiles on the faces of children using Barnardo’s and Derbyshire Children’s Hospital by delivering hundreds of gifts gathered through his ‘Nitro Neo Eggstravaganza’ and ‘Operation Christmas Smiles’ campaigns.  Neo spends time with the children and their families to distract them from their troubles when he delivers the gifts, Shaun told us “I think people appreciate his time more than the gifts, they talk about his racing, he takes the children to play areas and even takes his motocross bike with him so children can be photographed sat on it to show their visitors and talk about their experience.”

Neo used his high profile to promote the Ice Bucket Challenge in an attempt to increase donations to help the Motor Neurone Disease Association find a cure for his grandad who was suffering from MND at the time, but sadly passed away recently after an astonishing eight year battle with the disease.

Neo is in full time education and trains on and off the track several times a week for motocross races but has worked hard to achieve more by the age of nine than others manage in a lifetime.  Shaun told us “He has won international and regional motocross titles, advanced in swimming to become a Rookie Lifeguard, named Jon Jepson Black Belt Academy Student of the Year and will grade for his black belt next year, named as Derby’s Local Hero and received the Bobby Dorka Foundation Award”.

We asked Neo what drives him to work so hard and he told us “My grandad and dad teach me to always do the right thing so I help people fix their problems instead of struggle on their own, but I can only do the big missions with the help of my fans, I want to thank them for supporting me racing and helping me spread smiles for #NitroAid.”

We’re sure the people of Britain will be proud of this young boy when they hear of this news, the contribution he makes to society and proof people are capable of great things.

Keep up with Nitro Neo’s adventures and next mission to spread smiles by visiting his website www.nitroneo.co.uk and following Nitro Neo on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.

Racing to Bounce Revolution Trampoline Park

Bounce Revolution Trampoline Park opened in Derby on 8 April 2016 with an addition not in the the owners’ original plans for Derby’s first trampoline park; a support program for eight-year-old motocross racing champion, Neo McCartney AKA Nitro Neo, who was crowned Derby’s Local Hero for using his high profile to help children’s charities.

Derby’s pocket rocket, Nitro Neo, started racing on a regional level when he was just six-years-old and by the age of seven he was not only competing against the best in the country in national championships, but also internationally! Neo joined a group of young racers who travelled to Europe last summer to represent Team GB at the International MX Master Kids where he beat 25 contenders from 14 countries in the final to become champion and score maximum points for Team GB.  You can watch the video of his epic adventure here.  He went on to finish fourth in his group in the British MX Cup and bagged Winter Champion to end the year on a high.  Neo is dedicated to improving his skills required for racing so the support offered by Bounce Revolution has literally got him jumping for joy as it complements the training program he’s developed for himself.

Neo’s latest partner, Bounce Revolution, adds to Derby’s diverse range of leisure facilities by offering an alternative way for all ages to stay healthy whilst having fun on 500 joined up trampolines, slam dunks, foam pits and air bags.  The trampoline park also boasts a cafe to ensure spectators are catered for; sumo-suit wrestling, wipeout rotating sweeper arms and Battle Beam all under one roof to make Bounce Revolution leaps and bounds ahead of conventional trampoline parks.

Watch this video of Neo checking out what Bounce Revolution has to offer.

Guv Beesla, Marketing Director for Bounce Revolution said:

We decided to sponsor somebody local, somebody who could be an ambassador for our brand and truly benefit from our facilities; it had to be Nitro Neo, have you seen what he can do on a motorbike?  When we learned how hard this schoolboy works and the commitments required to compete at his level we wanted to get involved and support his development.  Neo gives everything 100% and he’s achieved a lot for somebody so young, he is going for his black belt in karate later this year, he’s completed his swimming awards and he’s now a Rookie Lifeguard, and he’s a motocross champion; he matches our ambition to work hard to maintain high standards and be successful.

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Mr Beesla added:

The lifetime pass we’ve given him grants free entry to complement his training program by helping improve his balance, coordination and stamina.  10 minutes on our trampolines is the equivalent of jogging at a steady pace for 33 minutes.  Visitors get all of these benefits whilst having the time of their lifes!  We wish Neo well and our staff have already told me they look forward to his weekly visits as he is such a happy and lively character.

Motocross is the hardest sport on earth, athletes are dressed head to toe in protective gear.  You get blurred vision landing jumps; you’re manoeuvring a motorbike on ever changing terrain as no two laps are the same, ruts get deeper and bumps get bigger.  There’s up to forty riders in a race going all over the place.  Heart rates are anaerobic plus and you’ll lose count of how many times a rider stands up and down on their motorbike each lap.  You have to be strong, stable, coordinated and efficient because there’s no let up, there’s no teammate to handover to, you’re on your own; accelerating, braking, the clutch, changing gears, shifting your body and timing.  There is no end to the season, no end to the training, and no end to the risk of injury, it’s endless.  That’s why many believe it’s the hardest sport on earth.

Neo’s father and manager said:

We’re really pleased to form this partnership with Bounce Revolution, the Directors are forward thinking like ourselves and the support they’ve offered will make a big contribution to Neo’s development, the trampoline park offers a balance of improving fitness whilst enjoying yourself big time.  There are so many attributes required to remain competitive in motocross, fitness is a big component so this sponsorship is very important to us.

Neo shows you can achieve anything if you are motivated enough, he knows where he wants to get to and he isn’t afraid of putting in the work necessary to achieve his goals.

We established the Nitro Neo race team to help turn his racing aspirations in to reality because there is no motorbike or racing experience within his family.  Neo gets inspiration from professionals we work with in the industry and support from sponsors who believe in our inspirational youngster, they’ve contributed to his success and we appreciate all they do for us.

You can find out more about Bounce Revolution on their website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page.  You can find out more about Nitro Neo on his website and support the young star by following him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, his blog and Twitter.

 

 

Nitro Neo’s 2015 Eggstravaganza is a cracking success

We said this year’s Nitro Neo Easter Eggstravaganza would be bigger and better than last year, and thanks to Neo’s hard work and the support of his fans, sponsors, family and friends, he’s managed to raise and deliver a phenomenal amount of easter eggs to spread smiles to children facing a rough time this Easter.  Read on to see how many he gathered this year and what good use they went to.

Nitro Neo with the huge donation made by customers at Kingsway Sainsbury’s, Derby.

Last year Neo collected an amazing 180 Easter eggs for Derbyshire Children’s Hospital, but this year he gathered a jaw dropping 742 eggs, more than quadrupling last year’s total!

 

Neo kicked things off when he bought the first lot of eggs using his bonus from a recent race win.  Whilst buying them Neo and his team started chatting to Sainsbury’s staff about why it looked as if Neo was buying his own eggs for Easter.   Mark Buckley the Store Manager thought what Neo was doing was fantastic once he heard his story so he kindly offered to support his campaign to spread smiles at Easter. We were surprised when Mr Buckley gave Neo £200 on behalf of Sainsbury’s so he could buy Easter goodies from Kingsway Sainsbury’s in Derby, and we were close to bursting when Mr Buckley suggested running a Nitro Neo Eggstravaganza weekend so customers could get involved.  Get involved they did!  The people of Derbyshire didn’t disappoint, they gave generously and donated an amazing 404 easter eggs. Read about it in the Derby Telegraph!

 

On top of this, we have to thank the following for making it possible to put smiles on 742 young people’s faces this Easter and remind them somebody is thinking of them: Neo’s sponsors Judd Racing and Muc-Off, fellow race friends Finlay and Scott Boxall donated on behalf of 3 Peak Developments, Rowditch Bargain Booze, Keith and Alfie Pearce, Leigh Derbyshire, Reece Wheater, Heanor Tesco, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, and Family.

Once all of the donations were gathered Neo set off at break-neck speed to deliver them before having to get himself to Preston to race round two of the Route 77 Energy British MX Cup over the Easter weekend.  Neo delivered 204 Easter Eggs to Derbyshire Children’s Hospital, making sure each department received enough for every patient.  Neo started his delivery in out-patients where 150 were delivered for the expected number of patients attending the following week, Neo handed them out to all children who were there on the day.  A further 34 went to the wards and 20 for surgical and dental patients. 46 eggs are going to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Neo gave a Milky Bar egg to Emma Wilson’s son who was in A&E at the time, Emma said:

How lovely of you to be giving out easter eggs. It really touched me that young people can be so kind. So thank you for making me smile and doing such a lovely thing for others x.

Neo delivering smiles around Derbyshire Children’s Hospital

As Neo set his target so high we knew there would be too many for Derbyshire Children’s Hospital alone so he delivered 492 smiles in the form of chocolate eggs to Barnardo’s, the UK’s largest children’s charity.  Some went to local Barnardo’s charity shops and raised £248, whilst others went directly to children and were delivered personally. Neo also raised a further £125 cash for the charity.

Neo loading up 492 chocolate eggs and soft toys to spread smiles to Barnardo’s services across Derbyshire

 

Nitro Neo said: “It’s really nice of everyone to help me spread so many smiles this Easter. It made the children at hospital and Barnardo’s really happy when I took the Easter eggs in.  I can’t believe there were so many, we had eggs all over the place and we had to make a few trips to get them to where they needed to be.  Thank you everyone for your help, you’re all awesome and made loads of kids happy.”

 

 

Part of Neo’s delivery to Barnardo’s

 The people of Derbyshire weren’t the only ones impressed with Neo’s efforts, as not long after revealing the rising total to the Derby Telegraph we received a call from the BBC One Show asking for Neo to appear in their live Easter special show.  Neo was invited to ride his motocross bike on to the show to meet Patrick Kielty and Felicity Kendal CBE before racing against Patrick and Nicolas Hamilton using radio controlled cars, how very cool. Neo was also to be interviewed about his Eggstravaganza and motocross, bringing the sport into the headlines for all the right reasons. Neo was gutted he couldn’t make it because the show was being aired live from London and he and his bikes had to be 236 miles away to compete in round two of the British MX Cup, but The One Show assured us they will keep in touch with the little fundraising superstar!

Finally – thank you once again to each and every Nitro Neo fan – you’re the ones that make all this possible, and all of us at Nitro HQ are extremely grateful for your support.

 

2015 Nitro Neo Eggstravaganza

2015 Eggstravaganza set to be bigger and better – helping more children

Yes folks, here is your opportunity to spread smiles this Easter.  Nitro Neo will be doing what is now becoming his annual Easter egg drive for children in unfortunate circumstances.

This Easter Nitro Neo will not only be supporting the work of Derbyshire Children’s Hospital, but also Barnardo’s the leading national children’s charity by delivering chocolate eggs to spread more smiles, to more children, in more places.

Nitro is appealing to his friends, family and fans to donate as many chocolate eggs as possible to share equally between the two charities to put a smile on as many children’s faces as possible this easter time. In addition, he’s set up a JustGiving page to raise money with the proceeds going directly to Barnardo’s.

 

In years gone by, with the help of each and every one of you, Neo has managed to give 250 toys to the children’s hospital, followed by 180 easter eggs as well as raising much needed awareness of MND with the Ice Bucket Challenge.  He can’t do it without you, so here’s how you can get involved in something amazing.

 

Get in touch through the following channels and let us know if you can donate – we’re happy to collect eggs if you can’t get them to us:

Tel:  07527 494879

www.facebook.com/ImNitroNeo

www.twitter.com/Nitro_Neo

Comment on the blog

Donate via JustGiving

 

Neo kick started his appeal by using the prize money he won taking the hole shot in his last race to buy some chocolate eggs.  

Neo has received a donation from his sponsors Judd Racing and Muc-Off.  Sainsbury’s supermarkets across Derby have also offered Neo a chocolate egg trolley dash worth over £100 – so he’s off to a good start.

Neo’s next step is appealing to local media organisations asking for their support to raise awareness and help with his fund and egg raising efforts – so here’s hoping they show support for this great cause.

 

The easter eggs and donations will be handed over as close to Easter Sunday as possible – so we need your chocolate eggs by Thursday 2nd April so you can help make a child smile this Easter, imagine if each of Neo’s fans gave even one egg each, it all adds up! In true Nitro Neo style he will take his motocross bike when visiting the children, he’ll spend time with them and let them have a sit on his bike if they are feeling well enough – he will sort the whole package for a day of smiles 😀

 

Finally – thank you once again to each and every Nitro Neo fan – you’re the ones that make all this possible, and all of us at Nitro HQ are extremely grateful for your support.

 

Nitro Neo Tech Tips – How to apply decals

So you’re lucky enough to have some new graphics for your bike and want to get them on ASAP to reflect your style. DON’T go rushing in to sticking them straight on your bike without first reading my fitting and care guide, otherwise you’ll end up getting frustrated whilst putting them on and disappointed when they don’t look as cool as you hoped on your bike. If you rush there’s also the risk they won’t last as long as you’d like them to. We’ve consulted graphics producers, spray paint and sign writing professionals to bring you this definitive guide to fitting your graphics.

 

Neo’s sponsor sent him the 2015 Nitro Neo edition Judd Racing Stealth graphics for Christmas so follow his steps to get your bike looking as sweet as his:

1. For the best result, fit your new graphics to new plastics. Well prepared used plastics will work well too if you’re not shelling out for new ones.  Each bike is different, Neo chose to apply his graphics kit with the plastics still on his bike as it provided a stable work surface.  We’ve looked at other bikes and they required some plastic panels to be removed to enable you to apply the decal around bends in the panel.

2. If you bought new plastics skip to step 3, if not, clean and dry your bike using the only products she deserves, Muc-Off. Don’t spray silicone, WD40 or anything else on the plastics afterwards.

3. Get together – your graphics kit, acetone (from Boots chemist or similar) three soft clean cotton rags or lint free cloths, a bowl of water and a hairdryer, perhaps best to plan this when your girlfriend is out if she’s precious of her expensive grooming apparatus 🙂

4. Prepare one plastic panel at a time. Dab some acetone on one of your clean cloths and give the plastic a good rub, on the front face and around the edges. The acetone will evaporate real fast, or use the hairdryer on a warm setting to speed it up, Neo did, he always does what’s best.

Fitting kit

First clean with acetone

Evaporate acetone

 

5. Wet your second cloth in the bowl of water and wring it out really well before wiping over the plastic you have just cleaned with acetone, this makes sure there is no trace of solvent left on it; dry panel with a quick waft of the hairdryer.

6. Leave the backing on the decal whilst you first line it up on the plastic panel, check it’s a good fit and decide which edge of the decal you are going to apply first before smoothing the rest down. Some decals may need a trim at this stage if you’re fitting to odd shaped plastic panels. If a trim is needed use the sharpest scissors or Stanley knife you have so they don’t snag on the decal when trimming; blunt scissors can leave a jagged edge or not cut straight and smoothly.

You’re ready for step 7 once you are happy the decal fits perfectly over the plastic and around any cut outs like bolt holes or vents.

Ensure decal fits

Trim before applying

 

Warm panel befor fitting

Warm decal for for shaping

 

7. It isn’t absolutely necessary to heat the decal before you apply it but it does help make it more flexible to apply around awkward shaped plastics, so again, warm the decal if desired, don’t heat it!

 

8. Peel the backing away from the decal along the edge you decided to apply first (see photos below), fold back the backing paper but don’t remove it all in one go. Apply the edge you are starting with and using the third dry clean cloth in one hand, smooth down the decal, working the cloth back and forth in straight lines. This gives a smooth application and prevents your fingers from sticking to the laminated plastic surface of the decal. If you just stick the decal straight on to the plastic panel you will trap air bubbles and the graphics will look rubbish and won’t last as long as they could have if applied correctly. Slowly work the cloth back and forth with one hand, applying the decal to the plastic as you go, and slowly peel the back off the decal with the other hand until you have worked your way along the decal and it is applied to the plastic panel.

Peel backing a bit at a time

Smooth down side to side

Peel backing as you go

Waft warm air to help glue go off

 

 

9. Waft the hairdryer over the decal you have just applied, on a medium heat to help the glue go off, whilst gently smoothing over it with the third clean cloth used during the application. Pay particular attention to going around the edges of the decal with the cloth to ensure they are properly stuck down.

 

10. Repeat this process to apply each decal to each plastic panel before standing back and admiring your handy work. Swit swoo, looking good!  If you need any more help or tips, get in touch.

Babe Behind the Blog x

 

#NitroChristmas video preview

#NitroChristmas video preview of

Neo McCartney officially launching Christmas

Team Nitro had to move fast once they were informed Neo had been chosen as intu Derby shopping centre’s local hero for all of the work he does to help people.  You can read my blog about it here.

The team called upon the services of HTB Productions to eternalise Nitro Neo’s big day in glorious HD video.  Here’s what Harvey had to say from HTB Productions:

I wasn’t sure what to expect when meeting Neo and the team, however it was a pleasant surprise. Nitro Neo is not your average seven year old, it seems as though he was born for motocross fame. He has been one of the most entertaining and easy going people I have done a shoot with, he doesn’t freeze or shake when a camera is pointing in his face. As a matter of fact he does the opposite, Neo takes it all in his stride. Dancing and waving to make the video as fun and amusing as possible! Definitely the coolest seven year old out there. I look forward to working with him and the team in the future.

Here is the #NitroChristmas preview that landed in the office today, we can’t wait to see the final video.

I’m Judd enough

Judd Racing– we’ve all heard of them, we’ve all bought from them. They are the main supplier of KTM parts for 50cc bikes through to 125cc as well as a large distributor of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha parts.

The main question they ask: Are you Judd enough? Well they think Nitro Neo is, and they have asked him to be their auto sponsored rider for the 2015 season!!

Everyone in the MX game will know this is a big deal, Judd are major motocross players and only ask the best of the best to be their sponsored rider. The deal will see Neo compete against the fastest boys and girls in the country in the 2015 GT cup, as well as regional Club Championships, where he will compete against 6 to 9 year olds on 50cc race tuned bikes. Neo is also registered for the 2015 Hardcore Racing MX Master Kids UK, as well as venturing across the channel into mainland Europe for some track time.

When Nitro was told of this amazing news, he was extremely proud as all the young athletes know Judd are a prestigious company in the world of motocross. Neo can’t wait to jump on his bike sporting the 2015 Judd Racing stealth edition graphics and show Judd his best racing skills.

Judd Racing Director Michelle Arnold said:

We’re very pleased to be sponsoring Nitro Neo for the 2015 Season.  He’s a rider who’s not only local to us, but who’s charity work and local accolades symbolise everything that Judd Racing as the UK’s Youth Motocross Specialists care about.

Kayleigh Hellewell, Media & Communications Manager for Team Nitro added:

This is a partnership we’re so pleased to have, we know that the team at Judd are great at what they do; they are extremely helpful and knowledgable, and in return we know that Nitro Neo can use their parts to the full potential they’d like to see.  The announcement is a great end to the racing season and we can’t wait to work with Judd next year.