The PDF, six months on
The Professional Drivers Foundation has just completed its first 6 months as a charity for vocational licence holders.
We are extremely pleased with both the donations received and also with the help we’ve been able to give.
To date we have dealt with nine cases successfully, all who have contacted us for help or support.
Some have received advice, some practical help and others have also been offered and given, financial help.
Charitable Registration will be applied for and we are hoping to be able to offer Gift Aid shortly.
We’d like to thank everyone who has made a donation and made this possible.
Truckfest 2009
The Professional Drivers Foundation were asked by the families of both Mercenary (Andy) & Biggus (Steve) if we could arrange for their ashes to have one last visit to Truckfest at Peterborough.
We managed to get them a final lap of the main arena on the back of Brett's Bedford, a lorry Mercenary loved so much.
This years Truckfest was both poignant and happy.
Poignant to remember the loss of two members of the PDA, Trucknet, OLT and the LDF Forums, Andy in an accident while working and Steve after a long illness. Both fought bravely for their lives, sadly both failed.
The families of both were with us all for Truckfest and like us, were happy to see the amount of respect shown as the Bedford drove aroundthe arena with both on board. The silence, the hats removed and the awareness that there, but for the grace of God, go all of us.
This was followed by a short rememberance service on the Trucknet/Truck & Driver stand where Lucy spoke about the memories we all had of them both, and Donna (Steve's Daughter) reminded us all to be aware of illness and DO something about it early.
A massive blast of airhorns from surrounding lorries marked the end of a minutes silence, and glasses were raised in a toast to absent friends.
I had known them both personally for some years and I know they would both have loved to have seen how well attended this was by friends from all of the forums, standing in one place, together, in unity. Both would have said that if they had not achieved anything else in the lives, to have managed that, was something they thought they would never see.
On a lighter note, we have to thank all of those who made this possible for us to do.
Live Promotions Events first and foremost, for accomodating our every need, and moving things around to fit this in. They agreed to everything we asked for and even suggested some more.
Truck & Driver for allowing us to take over their stand and have the Bedford present with the ashes for the rememberance service. Sorry for the disruption, but in the eyes of lorry drivers you will ALWAYS be seen to be the magazine that understands and actually cares for Drivers.
TrucknetUk for hosting the rememberance service and Lucy for the touching words she said. I know how hard it was for her, I couldn't have done that. Well Done Lucy.
Rikki, who allowed himself to be bullied by us both to get our own way on this one, and dutifully went off and shook a collection bucket when told to, started off by a generous donation by himself. Chris, a Brett's driver and a PDA Member, who changed into a suit to drive the Bedford(probably only I know what an effort that was) and who had a microphone put in front of him in the Arena, totally out of the blue, to 'talk' about Andy & Steve. He wasn't expecting that but improvised excellently.
Thanks also to Iveco who provided us with an Iveco Flag and a model to stand Steves ashes on. We offered to return them to their stand afterwards but they asked us to give them to the family.
To all of you who helped in so many small ways with suggestions and physical support.
Most of all our thanks go to Andy & Steve who who made it possible for Lorry Drivers to come together in a common cause, put past differences behind them and be 'like it used to be years ago'
They will both be sadly missed.
Dear Rikki, Lucy and all at Trucknet:
On behalf of all of us at the Professional Drivers Foundation we would like to thank you for the very generous donation of over £1000 you raised at the charity auction you held at the Longford Arms on the 21st February.
To say we were surprised is putting it mildly. Not just at the amount raised, but at the simple good heartedness of so many drivers and forum users, especially in these difficult times for all of us. We also thank Renault, Volvo and Scania for the auction prizes, and Reed Business Information, the publishers of Truck and Driver, Commercial Motor and Motor Transport for hosting the auction.
It's sad that the occasion of Andy's death should be the first major fundraising event for the PDF held by Trucknet, but knowing Andy he would have been enormously pleased. He will be very sorely missed by us all.
From: The Trustees of The Professional Drivers Foundation
PDF’s First Call For Help
Tragically the first case the Professional Drivers Foundation encountered came within a month of it being launched. A long time Member of The Professional Drivers Association had an accident in his lorry and sadly died from his injuries. Poignantly this meant that we’d all known this person as a friend for many years and were able to offer help, advice and support to his family when it was needed.
Financial help was offered but was turned down ‘in case someone else needed it more’. As a result of this the Professional Drivers Association has dedicated the Charity to the memory of Andrew Gormanly. You can read more about this in our Roll of Honour section as it is developed.
Professional Drivers Association Xmas Raffle
The PDA holds a Christmas Raffle every year to try and sustain sufficient funds to do our work but we all felt that this year the money made should be donated to The Professional Drivers Foundation to get the kitty off to a bit of a start.
All the prizes were donated by Supporters who are listed below we are eternally grateful for their generosity The amount raised was £500 for The Professional Drivers Foundation.