The Harlawhill Day Centre has taken delivery of a new Mellor Coachcraft Iveco Daily bus thanks to a major community fundraising drive to replace a 14-year-old ‘workhorse,’ which was also a Mellor vehicle.
The 16 seater Iveco Daily can be tailored to suit a multiple applications. The double rear doors provide easy access when combined with the onboard passenger lift.
The vehicle will be required to carry passengers to and from various community groups at the Harlawhill Day Centre in Prestonpans and will cater to people of varying ages and abilities.
Fiona Mitchell, Manager at the Harlawhill Day Centre, said: “The service was at risk of ceasing if our bus was not replaced due to the vehicle coming towards the end of its life cycle and the prospect of repair work being needed.
“Transport provided by this bus is a vital service, so we decided to appeal to the local community to help us raise the money needed for the replacement.
“The thought of raising £75,000 was rather daunting, so we decided to ‘split’ the vehicle into its vital components.
“Each community group was responsible for one element of the bus, making the overall target more achievable.
“After three years of incredible community spirit and support, we raised the money needed and decided to go straight back to Mellor, who had provided us with our reliable bus all those years ago that has given us such great service.
“It has been a pleasure dealing with the knowledgeable, professional and friendly team at Mellor and we hope to do business them again in the future.”
National Sales Manager for Mellor, Lorna Miller, added: “We are delighted that Harlawhill Day Centre in Prestonpans chose to stay with a Mellor built vehicle due to its reliability over the years.”
