The largest independent vehicle management company in the UK
News & events
June 2008
Fleet Support Group chairman Geoffrey Bray saw his polo team triumph 7-4 in a charity match that raised £32,500 for south west-based cancer charity Hope for Tomorrow.
Chppenham-based Fleet Support Group, which manages a fleet of more than 50,000 vehicles in the UK, sponsored a team in the second annual Chartwell Polo Day, which was held at The Beaufort Polo Club near Tetbury, Gloucestershire.
The team, led by England international Will Lucas, proved too strong for the opposing Chartwell team, which was managed by James Grant, chief executive, of financial investment company Chartwell.
More than 200 guests enjoyed a champagne reception and three-course lunch, before taking part in a charity auction.
The money raised will help the charity fund a second mobile chemotherapy unit. Last year, Hope for Tomorrow successfully launched the first mobile chemotherapy unit in the UK - and probably the world. The state of the art unit cost in the region of £150,000 to design, build and equip, meeting the exacting standard for NHS health and safety requirements. It is also eqipped with wheelchair access, a treatment room for up to five patients at a time, a carers room and the latest technology to provide a safe, hygenic and comfortable environment for patients and staff.
Run by the oncology team from the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the unit, which is part sponsored by Fleet Support Group, began treating chemotherapy patients in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire in spring last year.
The charity is amiing to fund a fleet of similar units for operation nationwide and Mr Bray said: “My team won the trophy last year at the inaugural polo match and I am delighted that we successfully defended the title. The tactics we adopted were spot on and all the training we put in leading up to the event clearly paid dividends.
“We will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins for the Fleet Support Group team next year. However, the real winner is Hope for Tomorrow. I am sure that everyone in the fleet industry has been touched by losing a loved one from cancer.
“The company has adopted Hope for Tomorrow because it is vital to raise money for a hugely worthwhile cause and help those with cancer, their families and dependants to cope with the reality of the situation.”
Hope for Tomorrow was launched in December 2003 by Christine Mills of Tetbury in memory of her husband, David, to provide support via special projects and offer general advice through information leaflets to people who are directly affected by cancer. Further information is available at www.hopefortomorrow.org.uk.
Photo caption: Fleet Support Group chairman Geoffrey Bray lifts the Ian MacLaurin Trophy aloft flanked by his polo team (left to right): Charlie Hanbury, Will Lucas, Manolo F-Florente and George Hanbury. Lord MacLaurin, the charity’s chairman and patron, is a former chairman of Vodafone and is a non executive director of Fleet Support Group.