Samaritans reach out with Sprinter

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