Toyota forklift donation boosts flow of aid to Ukraine

The forklift – a 2.5 tonne diesel-powered counterbalance model from the Toyota Approved Used fleet – has been vinyl-wrapped in the Boxes of Hope branding and will improve handling efficiency as well as the well-being of Boxes of Hope’s volunteer staff by reducing the charity’s reliance on manual handling at its national pick-up and distribution centre in Lincolnshire. The vinyl-wrapping for the truck was supplied by Bott Ltd.

“The truck has made a huge difference to the way that we work,” said Boxes of Hope’s founder and director, Mandy Baxter. “It has allowed us to completely change the layout of our store thanks to the fact that we are now able to move items around the facility safely, quickly and easily. Of course, lorry loading has become a faster and simpler process too and, what’s more, we are now able to make full use of every vehicle’s load capacity – which means we can get more of the things that are so desperately needed to the people of Ukraine.

“It now takes about a third of the time to load a truck than it was taking to do the job manually, so the volunteers that were previously required to help with the loading process can focus on other tasks and, as a result, we are able to make optimum use of the time that they so kindly give us.”

So far, Boxes of Hope have sent 16 lorries, each containing some 18 tonnes of crucial supplies to Ukraine and Mandy Baxter has made several trips to the war-torn country herself to personally oversee delivery of the aid.

Toyota were initially approached about Boxes of Hope’s urgent need for a truck by a former TMH UK employee, as Amanda Rodgers, TMH UK’s Used & Trade operations manager, explained. “I received a call out of the blue from an ex-colleague who described what Boxes of Hope are doing and how having a forklift would help them to process even more vital supplies bound for Ukraine.”

After visiting Boxes of Hopes’ site in Spalding, it was quickly agreed that Toyota would not only supply the truck at no cost but also provide complimentary ongoing service and maintenance support.

Supporting projects such as Boxes of Hope is a cornerstone of Toyota Material Handling’s corporate sustainability strategy. “A sustainable company engages in business practices that are good for people and Toyota’s approach to sustainability aims to make a difference to the well-being of those who are less fortunate than others,” said Ms Rodgers.