• Jaguar Land Rover's Solihull plant has donated four Land Rover vehicles to four Midland based charitable and community initiatives this year
• The latest beneficiary being the 1459 Squadron Air Cadets based in Chelmsley Wood alongside Midlands Air Ambulance, Family Care Trust and Wolverhampton Community Enablement
• Land Rover Community Committee raises proceeds for the four vehicles on behalf of employees at the Solihull plant.

The Solihull manufacturing plant has donated four Land Rover vehicles worth over £125,000 in value to four Midland based charities and community initiatives in need of transportation thanks to the contribution of its employees.

Last week, the latest beneficiary ‑ the 1459 Squadron Air Cadets based in Chelmsley Wood received their Land Rover vehicle which will support the 35 air cadets aged 14‑18 with group activities including their Duke of Edinburgh Awards. The vehicle will also be used to transport the cadets around to support community events including the Remembrance Parade where the cadets marched through Coleshill Town Centre on Sunday.

In September this year, the Solihull automotive manufacturing plant also donated three vehicles to Midlands Air Ambulance, Family Care Trust and Wolverhampton Community Enablement.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity relies solely on donations from the public and each year is faced with the challenge of raising £6.5m to keep the three helicopters airborne across six Midlands counties. Sofia Voutianitis, Corporate Fundraising Manager from the charity said "Each year we save nearly 3,000 lives but in order to keep doing so we need to raise awareness and encourage the public to donate what they can. This new Land Rover vehicle will tow our 'helipod' ‑ a mobile interactive exhibit that visits towns across the Midlands so people can learn more about us."

Community Gardening Services (CGS) a subsidiary of the Family Care Trust are the second charity to receive a Land Rover vehicle. Based in Solihull, the scheme offers day‑to‑day help for local residents by adults with learning disabilities. Phil Carpenter, CEO of the Family Care Trust commented "This vehicle will enable our team of volunteers with learning difficulties to do more about the community in Solihull and help others. This provides a sense of purpose and encourages independent living where they take great pride in their work by tidying gardens and community areas which helps the local and vulnerable people of Solihull."

The final beneficiary to receive a Land Rover vehicle is the Wolverhampton Community Enablement Scheme. Michelle Spruce, Community Services Manager for the programme said "We support people into employment who have learning or physical disabilities. We provide ongoing support so they have the confidence and ability to seek employment and this vehicle will help promote the scheme to the public and potential employers in the Wolverhampton area."

Peter Gray, Manufacturing Manager at the Jaguar Land Rover plant who sits on the Land Rover Community Committee forum officially handed over each vehicle to representatives of each charity. "On behalf of the employees at the Solihull plant, we are hugely proud to donate these vehicles to such worthy causes local to us. Each and every one of our manufacturing employees contributes to the Land Rover Community Committee and we are pleased to see the difference our vehicles will make to the charity and the local community."

Jaguar Land Rover was awarded 'Responsible Business of the Year' by Business in the Community in 2013. The automotive manufacturer encourages employees to volunteer and support local community projects. In 2013, employees at the Solihull plant helped the company achieve its best ever year for volunteering ‑ 3,500 employees donated 22,000 hours to support education and community activities. To build on this success, the company aims to donate at least 25,000 hours by engaging almost 4,000 employees in community projects in 2014.

Ends

Notes to Editors

About Jaguar Land Rover

• Jaguar Land Rover won BITC Responsible Business of the Year in July 2013 and is the UK's first ever manufacturing company to win the UK's most highly regarded CSR award.
• Jaguar Land Rover is committed to Manufacturing in the UK and has created more than 8,500 manufacturing jobs in the last three years.
• The Solihull plant is in the process of recruiting 1,700 jobs and employees work across three‑shift, 24 hour production to meet global demand for its vehicles

For more information please contact: 

Chloe Haynes, West Midlands Senior Communications Officer, Jaguar Land Rover
M+44 (0) 7747 630947   E:chaynes6@jaguarlandrover.com