28 May 2014
Activa CONTRACTS BACKS MOBILE CHEMOTHERAPY UNIT CHARITY WITH NEW CAR
Activa Contracts is backing national charity Hope for Tomorrow after presenting a car to the organisation which will be used by its headquarters' staff.The Kia C'eed 1.6 CRDi was handed over to Hope for Tomorrow, which is dedicated to bringing cancer treatment closer to patients' homes by providing a mobile chemotherapy unit to every oncology centre within the UK, at the launch event of the Fleet Industry Advisory Group (FIAG).
Ian Hill, managing director of Activa Contracts, is a founding member of FIAG, which, in addition to developing and sharing best practice among fleet decision-makers, is raising money for the charity.Buckinghamshire-headquartered Activa Contracts is a division of the Arnold Clark Group, Europe’s largest independently-owned vehicle dealer group, and FIAG’s launch workshop was held at Arnold Clark Group’s GTG Training Academy, Bearing Drive, Wolverhampton.
Hope for Tomorrow this month handed over its seventh mobile chemotherapy unit to the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust and is now on the road to raising enough money to launch an eighth unit.
Each bespoke mobile chemotherapy unit costs £260,000 to build and maintain for the first three years of its life and continues to be owned and maintained by the charity. Hope for Tomorrow also provide each operating Trust with a nurses’ support vehicle, which allows chemotherapy nurses to travel freely between the oncology centre and the daily treatment location of Hope for Tomorrow’s mobile chemotherapy unit.
Activa Contracts has provided the car for use by the Tetbury-based Hope for Tomorrow team and has also pledged to cover service, maintenance and repair costs.
Mr Hill said: “Hope for Tomorrow is a fantastic charity that provides positive help to people who are affected by the treatment of cancer. We are delighted to be able to support the organisation in its work.”
He added: “I have been involved in the fleet industry my entire working life and professional fleet operators have a critical role to play in effectively and efficiently managing vehicles to meet their business requirements.
“However, the traditional fleet manager is now rare and with their passing, companies have lost the knowledge and skill necessary to deliver a cost effective fleet operation. Consequently, there is a real need to reintroduce into the fleet management process individuals with a clear understanding and the necessary skill and knowledge to deliver professional fleet management, which is why I became involved in FIAG.”
Rosa Woodley, events and community fundraiser for Hope for Tomorrow said: “We are thrilled that Activa Contracts is able to donate this car to us. Being a national charity based in Gloucestershire, we often cover a lot of mileage, so a car like this which is designed for long distances will be a great help to us.”