Ford Transit Is 1,000th Minibus Donated By Lord's Taverners

ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM – Sept 14, 2012: A Ford Transit Minibus donated to an Essex school was the 1,000th vehicle handed over by The Lord’s Taverners. The presentation by the cricketing charity took place at Essex’s Ford County Ground.

Ford has sourced the majority of the 1,000 minibuses provided by The Lord’s Taverners, since donations began in 1976 – worth more than £25m at today’s prices.

Representatives from Ford, The Lord’s Taverners, Edith Borthwick School, Birchwood Ford dealership and Essex County Cricket Club took part in a ceremonial handover of the Ford Minibus on day two of the final Liverpool Victoria County Championship cricket match against Yorkshire.

Ford Britain fleet director, Kevin Griffin, said: “We are delighted and honoured that The Ford Transit is the vehicle of choice of The Lord’s Taverners for its specially converted minibuses. It is a privilege to provide the vehicle for the 1,000th donation by The Lord’s Taverners.

“Ford has been supplying these vehicles to the charity for the last 36 years, meeting the needs of drivers and passengers alike.”

Edith Borthwick School in Braintree caters for students aged 3 to 19 years with severe and complex learning difficulties. They took delivery of the new 17-seat, wheelchair-accessible Ford Minibus which will be used daily to transport students to college, work placements and residential trips. The minibus will provide access to activities and experiences students would otherwise not be able to enjoy, including horse riding, sailing, swimming and hydrotherapy.

Lord’s Taverners’ Essex chairman, Les Rowland, said: “The Lord's Taverners believes that sport and recreation are essential for all young people. We are always proud to donate Ford vehicles, which offer the best in comfort, safety and fuel-efficiency, and we are glad we can help the Essex pupils get out to enjoy new places and experiences.”

Ford Transit Minibus
The Ford Transit 17-seat Minibus features an extended wheelbase with rear-wheel drive, powered by the latest 135PS 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel engine, built at Dagenham, providing a combined fuel economy of 35.8mpg* and emissions of 209g/km CO2.

The vehicle meets the most stringent safety requirements and comes with a comprehensive package of security measures, including a 'Safeguard' passive anti-theft engine immobiliser and remote central-locking with shielded, strengthened mountings.