The illustrious French brand has been on the hunt for charities that rely on their trusty, if aging, Citroën vehicles to help them make a difference in their communities, including a homeless charity in Cambridgeshire and a Worcestershire-based organisation aimed at making the arts accessible to everyone.
Desira Citroën in Bury St. Edmunds carried out servicing, repairs and maintenance work free of charge on a first generation, 15-years old, Citroën C3 Desire for Wisbech-based charity ‘50 Backpacks for the homeless’. The vehicle is essential to keep the charity up and running, transporting between 30-40 meals to the homeless community every week.
Co-founded by Sarah Thomas in 2016, the charity’s aim is to fill 50 backpacks for the homeless and ‘rough sleepers’ of Wisbech, whom might not be accommodated at a local shelter. The charity now runs a weekly food kitchen called ‘Grub Hub’ and a supply store that provides essential items for homeless people. It also organises ‘pop-up’ sessions with a barber, a chiropodist and other beneficial services. You can view the video here.
Sarah Thomas, 50 Backpacks co-founder, said: “We are so grateful for the work carried out by Citroën. Without our C3 Desire we would never be able to transport all the supplies and food to the café and back. Our car is really part of the team and now it’s back to full health we can continue to provide support to the homeless of Wisbech.”
In a separate initiative, Cathy Moss, the co-founder of Indigo Arts in Redditch, has had her 19-year old Citroën Berlingo Multispace repaired free of charge by the Robins & Day dealership in the town. Indigo Arts is an organisation that works with people of all ages and abilities, making the Arts accessible to everyone, whatever their background. Since 2001, Indigo Arts has funded a series of highly successful projects, performances and workshops in a variety of visual and performing arts, all designed to build confidence and create a sense of community. Watch the video here.
Cathy Moss, Indigo Arts co-founder, said: “I’ve always been a fan of Citroën and we really love our Berlingo Multispace, so when Citroën offered us all these repairs for free, we jumped at the chance. The work we do at Indigo Arts wouldn’t be possible without our trusty vehicle to transport the sound and lighting equipment to all the various events and performances, so, thank you!”
Souad Wrixen, Citroën UK’s Marketing Director, commented: “It’s such a pleasure to give something back to these great charities that do so much in their communities. Citroën has been inspired by the lives of its customers for 100 years and it’s great to see the positive impact that the dependability of our vehicles can have on these inspirational organisations, even after so many years.”
