The forklift will improve the handling efficiency as well as the wellbeing of Boxes of Hope’s volunteer staff by reducing the charity’s reliance on manual handling at its national pick-up and distribution centre in Lincolnshire.
Boxes of Hope’s founder Mandy Baxter said: “The truck has made a huge difference to the way that we work. It has allowed us to completely change the layout of our store thanks to the fact that we are now able to move items around the facility safely, quickly and easily. Of course, lorry loading has become a faster and simpler process too and, what’s more, we are now able to make full use of every vehicle’s load capacity – which means we can get more of the things that are so desperately needed to the people of Ukraine.
“It now takes about a third of the time to load a truck than it was taking to do the job manually, so the volunteers that were previously required to help with the loading process can focus on other tasks and, as a result, we are able to make optimum use of the time that they so kindly give us.”
So far, Boxes of Hope has sent 16 lorries, each containing some 18 tonnes of supplies to Ukraine.
“Companies big and small have been very supportive,” Baxter continued. “For example, our warehouse is a former garden centre unit and the owner is not charging us to use it. He originally agreed that we could stay for three months but we’re still here nearly a year later! And we are working closely with a number of local and international logistics companies who not only transport aid from donation centres and individual donors throughout the region to our warehouse, but also provide the lorries and drivers needed to deliver the aid from England to Ukraine.”
Boxes of Hope liaises with other aid agencies based in Ukraine to ensure that the support they provide is targeted to the regions where it is needed most. The charity lists items – which can be anything from wheelchairs to 4x4 vehicle tyres - that it has in stock on a live online inventory system. The inventory data can be accessed by various Ukraine-based partner organisations that request the goods that are urgently required, such as medical or first-aid products, so they can be included on the next outgoing vehicle.