A Shropshire car dealership has just loaned us two electric vehicles, which will be used to take our doctors and nurses out in to the community.

Rybrook BMW in Shrewsbury handed over the keys to two BMW i3 vehicles last week and the cars will be used when our clinical staff visit people living with incurable illness in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.

Dr Alice O’Connor, consultant in palliative medicine said: “The generous loan will enable me to visit patients and families in our county without extra mileage costs to the hospice. 

Environmentally friendly

“It also helps strengthen sustainability and environmentally friendly strands of our hospice’s commitment for the future.  

“We have installed electric charging points at our new building on the Bicton site, which will come in useful, and I look forward to starting conversations with anyone I meet when out and about.” 

Becky Richardson, director of care added: “Here at the hospice, we can’t stop caring and now we are helping to care for the environment too.  

Generosity

“I would like to thank Rybrook BMW for their incredible generosity.  

“As a rural county, our teams cover many miles a day and so their kind offer has supported our clinicians to continue with their work in a not only a new, modern vehicle but without the expense of fuel – amazing.” 

In normal times, the cars would have been used by Rybrook for test drives. But since lockdown they have been stood idle on the garage’s forecourt.  

So earlier this year, the dealership offered them to local charities to use in the community and they have now been loaned to us until lockdown ends.  

Community

Group Marketing Manager Jessie Hinds said the dealership had already loaned cars to Foodbank Plus and Little Stars baby bank and look forward to helping many more community projects. 

“It’s been so rewarding to see our demonstrators out in the community, helping really worthy causes. Whilst our showrooms have been closed, these cars would have been sitting idle on our forecourt, but instead they have been used by hospice nurses to travel to patient’s homes to deliver specialist care. 

“They have also been used by Foodbank Plus, to collect and deliver food parcels and next week our MINI will be heading out to assist Leanne Simcoe, founder of Little Stars Baby Bank in delivering donated items to those who need them most. 

Proud

“Rybrook are proud to be part of such a supportive community and hope that we can help make ‘giving back’ a little easier. Together we can make a difference.”