Dealerships turn showrooms into Santa's Grotto

Car dealerships across the UK are being turned into a Santa’s Grotto for the next couple of weeks – all in aid of a charitable campaign which sends present-filled shoeboxes to needy children in developing countries.

Polar Ford, Brunel Ford, Heartlands Ford and Dagenham Motors dealerships are all designated drop off points for the 2009 “Operation Christmas Child” shoebox appeal. The appeal encourages people to send some festive cheer to children less fortunate than most, across the world.

Run in conjunction with the Samaritans Purse charity, “Operation Christmas Child” entails filling shoeboxes with toys and gifts to send to children around the world in hospitals, orphanages, refugee camps, homeless shelters and impoverished neighbourhoods.

A spokesperson for Ford Retail, which owns each of the dealerships, said: “This is the third year that we have taken part in the appeal. Last year the Group collected over 10,000 shoeboxes, each wrapped in Christmas paper and filled with small toys, crayons, clothes and sweets, and this year we are aiming to collect even more. It’s an extremely worthwhile cause and we are looking forward to taking part again this year.”

How to pack your shoebox:
Remember to make your box both fun and educational! All shoebox items should be new and can contain gifts such as:
Toys: Bear, soft toy, tennis ball, finger puppet, jigsaw, yo-yo, building blocks, small musical instrument. For boys trucks and cars, for girls dolls, clip on earrings etc.
Educational supplies: Felt pens, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, colouring book, notepad, picture or puzzle book, chalk, pencil case, stickers etc.
Hygiene items: Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, comb, hair clips, bar of soap, flannel etc.
Other items: Sweets (sell by date to be at least March of the following year), gloves, scarf, sunglasses, cap, hat, bangles, necklaces etc.

Shoeboxes can be dropped off at your nearest showroom until Tuesday 18th November. For further information about the campaign and what items to include in your shoeboxes, please visit www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk or contact the dealership using the details below:

Dagenham Motors:
319 The Hyde, Edgware Road, London, NW9 6TH. Tel: 0208 358 8600
Baker Street, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 2DZ. Tel: 01707 652219
720 Great Cambridge Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 5DU. Tel: 0208 884 7800
268 London Road, Staines, Middlesex, TW18 4JQ. Tel: 01784 466 666

374 Ealing Road, Alperton, Middlesex, HA0 1HG. Tel: 0208 997 3388
51 Stamford Hill, London, N16 5TB. Tel: 0208 826 2200
357 Chigwell Road, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 8PE. Tel: 0208 498 9848
719-727 London Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 1SE. Tel: 0208 814 4600

20-40 East Street, Epsom, Surrey, KT17 1HF. Tel: 01372 804 000
Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton, Kingston, Surrey, KT7 0EG. Tel: 0208 339 3514
Brighton Road, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 1BS. Tel: 01737 352 202

97 Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1JJ. Tel: 01932 864244
Wintersells Road, Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 7LF. Tel: 01932 332933
Guildford Road, Bookham, Surrey, KT23 4HY. Tel: 0208 814 4600

Ripple Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 9PG
Eastern Avenue, Newbury Park, Ilford, IG2 7EE
161-169 Pier Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 1AF
259 Plaistow Road, London, E15 3EU
Fiveways, Sidcup Road, Eltham, London, SE9 3AQ

1 Ballard Business Park, Cuxton Road, Strood, Kent, ME2 2NY

Unit 1, Waltham Park Way, Billet Road, Walthamstow, E17 5DU. Tel: 0208 556 1521

Redburn Industrial Estate, Woodhall Road, Ponders End, Enfield, EN3 4LE. Tel: 0208 804 2489

Dagenham Motors CV:

Dawley Road, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 1EH. Tel: 0208 561 8888

51-53 River Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 0SW. Tel: 0208 477 4000

Cuton Hall Lane, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6PB. Tel: 01245 235400

Polar Ford:

Canal Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 4SR. Tel: 01274 756200

Calder Island Way Denby Dale Road, Wakefield, WF2 7AW. Tel: 01924 290290

Wakefield Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 1NF. Tel: 01226 732732

Junction 32, M62, Park Road, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 4RJ. Tel: 01977 603644

St Andrews Road, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 6NA. Tel: 01484 290022

Winwick Road, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 7NY. Tel: 01925 651111

Victoria Road, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 5SP. Tel: 01928 574333

Wellington Road, North Stockport, SK4 2PE. Tel: 0161 975 5500

Sherdley Road, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5AD. Tel: 01744 610600

60 Buxton Road, Hazel Grove, Stockport, SK7 6AF. Tel: 0161 483 9431

A34 Bypass, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 1AE. Tel: 01625 257 777

Brunel Ford:

Winterstoke Road, Bristol, BS23 2LB. Tel: 0117 908 9999

175 Muller Road, Horfield, Bristol, Bs7 9RD. Tel: 0117 951 3333

Winterstoke Road, Weston Super Mare, N. Somerset, BS23 3YE. Tel: 01934 415511

Heartlands Ford:

971 Kingsbury Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B24 9QB. Tel: 0121 377 3000

Saxon Drive, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7HD. Tel: 01827 306700

Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham, B42 2SP. Tel: 0121 344 5252

1) Operation Christmas Child is the world's largest children's Christmas project. Since 1990 the project has brought the joy of Christmas to more than 60 million boys and girls throughout the world.
2) The annual project enables caring individuals, families, schools, churches, businesses, and other organisations to fill ordinary shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, sweets, and other gifts for needy children around the world.
3) Last year 1.2 million shoe boxes were sent from the UK to children in hospitals, orphanages, refugee camps, homeless shelters and impoverished neighbourhoods.

'Here come the girls' - Swish Party raises over £200 for charity

The traditionally male-dominated world of car dealership Polar Ford was recently turned into a ladies paradise for a night, when it hosted an exclusive ‘Swish Party’ for local customers and guests.

Fashion-loving ladies from all over Bradford descended on the showroom to indulge in the popular clothes-swapping craze, which is fast becoming the favourite way to kit out your wardrobe without emptying out your purse, particularly during the current recession.

£255 was raised on the night, through the entry fee which included a buffet and drinks. A representative from Martini Rosso was there to serve up cocktails and keep guests refreshed throughout the thirsty task of hunting for that perfect outfit.

Clothes swapping, or ‘swishing’ as it is increasingly known, is a great way to recycle unwanted clothes, have some fun, while making some new friends and Polar Ford gave the party an extra twist by donating all the proceeds to Age Concern.

Maureen McEvoy, Sales Manager at Polar Ford who organised the event, said: “We had such a fun night and everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The ladies had to be held back until I signalled the start of the swishing, then they could take away as many clothes as they wanted in return for the hats, shoes and accessories they brought in which were lurking in the back of their wardrobe”.

Any items that weren’t snapped up at the party were donated to the Age Concern shop in Horsforth to be sold on at a later date and raise even more for the charity.

Ford Retail wins top Motability award for fourth year running!

Motability Operations, the company that manages the national Motability car scheme for disabled motorists, has awarded Ford Retail their highest accolade of ‘Dealer Group of the Year’ for the fourth year running.

Presenting at the 2009 annual Supplier Awards held on Friday 3rd July, Ian Goswell, commercial services director of Motability Operations, said: “Ford Retail fully deserve to win this top award again. This has been an extremely positive year for the Motability Scheme and key to this has been the work of our business partners and suppliers who provide the highest levels of service for our customers”.

He continued: “Across the Ford Retail Group, dealers have continued to show exemplary levels of passion and commitment to the Scheme, setting the standard for business excellence”.

On collecting the award, Malcolm Tutton, Ford Retail’s Motability Manager, said: “Motability is extremely important to Ford Retail and we are very proud to have won ‘Dealer Group of the Year’ for the fourth year running. Winning the award is clear evidence that the commitment and excellence of each of our Motability specialists has been recognised”.

In addition to the award for Dealer Group of the Year, three individual Ford Retail dealerships from the Polar Ford and Dagenham Motors brands were ‘Highly Commended’ or rewarded for the huge commitment and achievements over the last 12 months.

The award to best manufacturer with annual Motability registrations over 10,000 went to Ford Motor Company. The latest Ford model range's flexibility and adaptability to suit disabled drivers led to the blue oval becoming Motability's favourite vehicle brand in the first half of 2009.

Ford Retail is Europe’s largest Ford dealer group owning 47 dealerships under brands Dagenham Motors, Polar Ford, Lindsay Ford, Heartlands Ford, Brunel Ford and La Motte in the Channel Islands.

The awards event was hosted by newsreader Huw Edwards for the second year.

Dagenham Motors wins top Ford award

Dealer group Dagenham Motors has been awarded the prestigious “Chairman’s Award” by Ford Motor Company for its success in new car sales and aftersales over the past year.

The annual award, given for excellent customer satisfaction in either sales or servicing for cars and commercial vehicles, is only awarded to Europe’s best and most successful Ford dealers.

Martin Lumbard, Regional Director of Dagenham Motors Surrey, said: “We are delighted and proud to receive the Chairman’s award. This is the ultimate test of the service we provide because it is judged by our customers and is a real tribute to the dedication and commitment of our staff to offering a first class customer experience.”

Extensive research is continuously carried out by Ford to assess exactly how customers feel about the quality of attention they receive from their dealer; whether buying a new car or having their vehicle serviced. The Chairman's Award is the highest accolade for dealers who provide outstanding levels of customer satisfaction.

Dagenham Motors was presented with their trophy by Ingvar Sviggum, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe and Nigel Sharp, Managing Director Ford of Britain during a ceremony at Edinburgh Castle.