Ford has offered a helping hand to council staff looking to investigate the damage from those floods that hit Northern England last month.
A bunch of Ranger 4x4s were deployed to the City of York and Cumbria County Councils in order to aid with clean-up and repair, while continuing to support vital recovery operations.
In Cumbria, as many as 6,500 properties were flooded and 1,600 bridges had to be surveyed for damage, which is where the Ranger’s ability to tackle challenging terrain comes in. Actually, two Ford pickups are currently in daily use over there.
Cumbria County highway network manager Peter Hosking explained that “with so many road closures, just getting around and finding a route can be challenging, and the Rangers have been a real lifeline to allow our surveying teams to get access to those difficult areas.”
“Our fleet isn’t huge so the loan of these Ford Rangers has certainly added to our capacity, helped staff to get about, and has made a big difference.”
Ford of Britain chairman Andy Barratt added that “everyone in Britain was horrified by the floods which hit the north last month, and have been impressed by the resilience shown by the people of Cumbria and York as they battled the floods and salvaged what they could. We are pleased to play a small part in helping those on the front line with what will be a lengthy battle to tackle the many challenges in the affected communities.”
Is this the type of thing that helps boost an automaker’s image in the eyes of the public? Sure. Though it’s always nice when marketing and humanitarian efforts go hand in hand.
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