Looking after four-legged friends in need will be easier for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Old Windsor, now that we've handed over the keys to a brand new Citroen Dispatch Enterprise. Here are Vanarama's Kate Osborne and Mags Downey - both dog owners themselves, presenting the keys to Battersea Centre Manager Kaye Mughal. Of course, in true Battersea style two of man's best friends, Kaiser the Bull Mastiff and Maisy the Springer Spaniel were present to help get things moving!
Supporting charities close to our heart is important for us here at Vanarama and as a company full of dog and cat lovers, it's amazing to be able to help Battersea. Providing something tangible, like the van, will have a massive impact straight away. It is crucial to the daily work of the staff and volunteers as they care for these animals in need. From transporting animals between the charity's three centres to help them find a home, attending public events where staff hope to find new owners for the animals, to delivering and collecting food, bedding and crates from other animal rescue organisations they work with - the van will be kept busy.
Low emissions zone made old van redundant
Battersea came across a problem that affects many small businesses across the area. The Citroen replaces Battersea's 2002 van, which had become virtually redundant as it is unable to drive in between its centres because of the London Low Emission Zone. The new van meets the low emissions targets required of the zone, something more and more SME's are having to think about when choosing their new vans.
Battersea Centre Manager Kaye Mughal says: "Battersea has centres in London, Berkshire and Kent, and we also re-home animals all over the UK so transport is a really important part of what we do. We rely on the generosity of the public and companies like Vanarama so we can continue to care for the 9000 animals that come to us each year. Not only is this van crucial to our daily work, it also has fantastic Battersea branding so it will remind animal lovers across the country of the help we provide to abandoned and unwanted animals. We're so thankful to Vanarama for donating this van to us and they've even joined our Buy for Battersea scheme, so now we can look forward to on-going donations when our supporters buy vehicles from them. It will really make a difference to the lives of the animals we care for."
It's really important to us as a company, when times are good for us, to be able to 'give back'. The support of Battersea is just part of our bid to raise £50,000 for nationally recognised charities and those nearer to home this year. By getting staff involved in fund raising activities like sky diving and bake offs, our target is to raise or donate the equivalent of £10 per every vehicle sold.
If your business takes you in and out of the London Low Emissions Zone and you want to avoid paying the daily charge or penalty notices, it might be worth upgrading to a new vehicle that meets the Low Emission Zone standards. Our Account Managers will be able to provide you with all the information you need on the best vans to meet the standards set by Transport for London. Call them on 0845 094 1399.
