Evans Halshaw drive forward to support Wolverhampton families

11 August 2023

A kind-hearted Wolverhampton car dealership has joined forces with YMCA Black Country Group to help provide essential support for local families.

Evans Halshaw Vauxhall, which employs 40 people at its site on the Bilston Road, is aiming to fill a car up with food and everyday items that will help ease the cost-of-living crisis in the city.The campaign is open to employees and customers to donate anything that could go into the food/care parcels, including toiletries, pasta, tinned goods, lentils, cereal and water and cordials.

When the electric Vauxhall Mokka is full, the company will drive it over to the YMCA’s head office, where the intention is to distribute to families already part of the charity’s services. This will encompass parents who use its Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) and youth clubs, as well as residents of Y-Living at City Gateway and supported housing on the Cannock Road.

“We have been selling cars in Wolverhampton since the 1950s and have a huge affinity for the city and the people who live here,” explained Lydia Robinson, Sales Administrator at Evans Halshaw Vauxhall.

“All of the staff wanted to put something back, with one of my colleagues having an existing link with the YMCA Black Country Group. A few conversations later and we had identified a motoring-themed campaign that drives forward the charity’s desire to help individual and families with the cost-of-living crisis.”

She continued: “We’re 75% towards our target, so within a few weeks the car should be full and then we’ll be able to take an electric-powered trip to City Gateway. This could well turn into a monthly mobile food bank going forward.”

Steve Bavington, Chief Executive of YMCA Black Country Group, added his thoughts: “We are living in an extremely challenging period for everyone and, for our organisation to continue to deliver essential support, we need to engage with the local business community. That’s why relationships, like the one we are building with Evans Halshaw Vauxhall, are so important. We must make the partnerships relevant to both parties and explore how we can deliver experiences and tangible benefits for the staff and the companies who support us.