Central England Co-operative food distribution centre has donated two lorries to support people in developing nations.
The 18-tonne and 26-tonne Iveco lorries will be used by transport and logistics charity Transaid to help train people in Zambia, southern Africa.
Before the vehicles are used, drivers will receive training at the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) that works towards increasing the standards of road safety throughout the country.
The Society’s head of distribution and logistics, Robin Farrell, said: “As a responsible business, we are delighted to be able to use two vehicles, which have helped us serve our customers so well over the years, to now help people in developing nations.
“Transaid is a fantastic organisation and one that makes a real difference to the lives of people across the globe.
“At Central England Co-operative, we pride ourselves on our reputation as an ethical business and focus on corporate responsibility. This donation is a great example of us giving back and supporting others in need.”
Transaid is an international development organisation that transforms lives through safe, sustainable transport.
Founded by Save the Children, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and The Princess Royal, Transaid shares 25 years’ worth of expertise in 23 countries with partners and governments.
Neil Rettie, road safety project manager at Transaid, said: ‘’Our Professional Driver Training programme helps drivers in Africa to improve their professional skills and ultimately make roads in the region safer.
“Our partners at ITC have trained 1493 students between May 2015 and April 2016.
“We are extremely grateful to Central England Co-operative for their donation of two training vehicles which will enable us to offer this training to even more students.’’
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, employing over 8,000 staff, with projected gross sales of £958m for 2016/17.
It was named Leading Co-operative of the Year 2016 by Co-operatives UK.
