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Samaritans reach out with Sprinter
publication date: Jul 18, 2009
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A new Mercedes-Benz van is helping to spread the message of hope to troubled youngsters in south Wales.
The Sprinter 211CDI is being used by Bridgend Samaritans to support its
outreach work in an area that has seen a high number of teenage
suicides.
A Medium-bodied model with a high roof, it also acts as a mobile
advertisement for the charity at fund-raising events throughout the
region – the vehicle wears an eye-catching livery by Elite Signs +
Graphics, of Bridgend.
The Sprinter was supplied by local dealer Euro Commercials and its
generous cargo area transformed by specialist bodybuilder Cardiff Truck
& Bus, which installed face-to-face seating and storage cupboards,
and improved the internal lighting.
Bridgend Samaritans was formed in the early 1970s and moved to it
current offices on Green Street in 1988. It is staffed by a team of 100
volunteers and provides a 24-hour confidential support line for people
who are experiencing feelings of emotional distress or despair. Callers
can also visit the centre between 11am and 9pm, or share their feelings
via email.
For the past year volunteers have been patrolling the streets of
Bridgend on Saturday nights, empathising with any young person who
wants to discuss their problems. Following the arrival of the new
Mercedes, the service will soon be extended to Fridays.
“Our Sprinter is supporting this work by acting as a mobile branch,”
says the charity’s Fund-raiser Karen Bartlett. “We’re hoping that the
privacy it offers will encourage more people to stop and talk to us.”
Bridgend Samaritans’ new 3.0-tonne Mercedes is powered by a smooth and
clean 109hp common-rail diesel engine. A class-leading three-year,
unlimited mileage warranty comes as standard, as does a free Service
Package that covers the first five years or 60,000 miles of operation,
whichever is reached sooner.
The Mercedes was chosen over rival products from other manufacturers,
for its highly competitive ‘whole-life’ costs – as well being renowned
for its reliability and durability, the Sprinter also offers long
service intervals and commands high resale values.
“As a charity we have to account for every penny,” she explains, “and
we knew that Mercedes-Benz built quality wasn’t going to let us down.”
Safety was another important requirement for the charity, which was
reassured by the Sprinter’s arsenal of standard active and passive
safety features, which are designed to offer the highest possible
degree of protection to its occupants and other road users. These
include the latest Adaptive version of the remarkable ESP® anti-skid
system, which dynamically monitors the vehicle’s load status while it
is on the move.
“Quite a few people will be driving the vehicle, so we wanted something
that would be safe to send them off in,” says Mrs Bartlett, who was
also impressed by the levels of comfort and quality the Sprinter offers
its occupants, together with the simplicity of its ergonomically
arranged controls.
“I’m only 4ft 11ins and I have no trouble finding a comfortable driving
position,” she continues. “The power-assisted steering and high-tech
safety systems also make it easy and reassuring to drive.”
Mrs Bartlett is full of praise too, for the service from Euro
Commercials’ van sales executive Carly Pontin. “Nothing was too much
trouble,” she adds. “Carly went out of her way to answer all our
questions, unlike some rival dealers who failed even to respond to our
initial inquiries.”
| | www.samaritans.org/bridgend |
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